Clinical stage immuno-oncology company Imugene Limited (ASX:IMU) has received a Notice of Allowance from the People’s Republic of China Patent Office for Patent Application number 2016800291184 which protects its HER-Vaxx immunotherapy, currently in development for HER-2 positive gastric cancer.
The patent titled “A VACCINE COMPOSITION AND USES THEREOF” protects the method of composition and method of use of Imugene’s HER-Vaxx immunotherapy to 2036.
Imugene’s Managing Director anfd CEO, Leslie Chong, China has one of the highest incidence rates of gastric cancer worldwide, of which approximately one in five cases are considered HER2 positive. Approximately 75% of all gastric cancer diagnoses are in Asia. Particularly high incidence rates in East Asia make China a very large market for gastric cancer medications.
Attaining the key Chinese patent is an important milestone. This adds to Imugene’s portfolio of B-cell immunotherapies and this will protect them in one of the world’s largest HER-2 positive gastric cancer market until 2036,” Ms Chong said.
Imugene’s HER-Vaxx is a B-cell activating immunotherapy designed to treat tumours that over-express the HER-2/neu receptor, such as gastric, breast, ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers.
The immunotherapy is constructed from several B cell epitopes derived from the extracellular domain of HER-2/neu. It has been shown in pre-clinical studies, in Phase I and now Phase 2 studies to stimulate a potent polyclonal antibody response to HER-2/neu, a well-known and validated cancer target.
