Imugene Limited (ASX:IMU, OTC:IUGNF)’s HER-Vaxx immunotherapy is now patent protected in China.
The company has received a Notice of Allowance from the People's Republic of China Patent Office for Patent Application number 2016800291184.
This patent protects 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.
China must curb gastric cancer
Approximately 75% of all gastric cancer diagnoses are in Asia and China alone has one of the highest incidence rates of gastric cancer worldwide.
In fact, approximately one in five cases of gastric cancer in China is considered HER2 positive.
China is thus a very large market for gastric cancer medications and it is, therefore, a key market for IMU.
“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 markets until 2036,” Imugene’s MD & CEO Leslie 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.