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Imugene granted patent extension for PD1-Vaxx to treat non-small cell lung cancer

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By Imelda Cotton - 
Imugene ASX IMU granted patent extension PD1-Vaxx treat non-small cell lung cancer 2040
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Clinical stage immuno-oncology company Imugene (ASX: IMU) has been granted a patent extension by the US Patent Office to protect its immunotherapeutic PD1-Vaxx for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

The patent is titled Human PD1 Peptide Vaccines and Uses Thereof and protects the composition of matter and method of treatment for the generation of a therapeutic antibody response against the PD1 checkpoint target.

It will expire in February 2040 and includes 685 days of patent term adjustment added to the original expiry date of March 2038.

Treating tumours

Imugene’s PD1-Vaxx is a B-cell activating immunotherapy designed to treat tumours such as lung cancer by interfering with PD-1/PD-L1 binding and interaction.

The lead candidate produces an anti-cancer effect similar to Tecentriq, Keytruda, Opdivo and other immune checkpoint inhibitor monoclonal antibodies which transform the treatment of a range of cancers.

Patent welcome

Imugene chief executive officer Leslie Chong welcomed the patent extension.

“With the US being the largest healthcare market in the world, this is a particularly important achievement to protect our PD1-Vaxx technology as we continue its clinical development,” she said.

Roche partnership

Earlier this month, Imugene announced it had partnered with global biopharmaceutical company Roche on an Imprinter trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the PD1-Vaxx combined with Tecentriq for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

The open label trial is based on B-cell immunotherapy as monotherapy or in combination with Tecentriq, with or without chemotherapy in adults with the disease.

Tecentriq has been developed by Roche as an immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting the PD-L1 protein which is expressed on tumour cells and tumour-infiltrating immune cells.

It has previously shown clinically-meaningful benefit in various types of lung cancer, with six currently approved indications in the US.

Ms Chong said a combination of Tecentriq with PD1-Vaxx could overcome treatment resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors with dual inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis extending the treatment benefit of Tecentriq.