Clinical stage immunooncology company Imugene (ASX:IMU) has received a Notice of Grant from the Chinese Patent Office, following earlier Grants in Japan and South Korea.
The company said the granted claims protect its oncolytic virotherapy CF33, including VAXINIA (CF33-hNIS) and CHECKvacc (CF33-hNIS-antiPDL1).
The patent titled 'CHIMERIC POXVIRUS COMPOSITION AND USES THEREOF' (inventors Yuman Fong and Nanhai Chen from the City of Hope) protects the method of composition and method of use of Imugene's licensed oncolytic virotherapy to 2037.
CF33 is a chimeric vaccinia poxvirus from the lab of inventor Professor Yuman Fong, Chair of Sangiacomo Family Chair in Surgical Oncology at City of Hope, and a noted expert in the oncolytic virus field.
Oncolytic viruses are designed to both selectively kill tumour cells and activate the immune system against cancer cells, with the potential to improve clinical response and survival.
Imugene managing director and CEO Leslie Chong said, "Imugene receiving these patent grants for the CF33 family of oncolytic viruses is a crucial step forward and with China, Japan, and South Korea being the largest healthcare markets in Asia, this is a particularly important patent milestone."
