Cartherics receives patent in China for multiple development candidates

Melbourne: Cartherics Pty Ltd has been granted Chinese patent ZL 201680069543.6, entitled ‘Genetically modified cells and uses thereof’. This patent is part of the family represented by the international patent filing WO2017088012.

The patent provides a proprietary position for multiple development candidates in Cartherics’ pipeline. Specifically, it covers Cartherics’ chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting tumour-associated glycoprotein-72 (TAG-72) and T cells bearing the TAG-72 CAR. It provides protection for both autologous (patient-derived) and allogeneic (off-the-shelf) immune cell products that carry the TAG-72 CAR.

TAG-72 is a well-validated target, highly expressed in a range of adenocarcinomas including ovarian and gastric cancers. Issuance of the patent is an important milestone in underpinning the development of new treatments for these cancers.

Cartherics’ initial target indication is relapsed or refractory ovarian cancer, where greater than 90 per cent of tumours are TAG-72 positive. Targeting these tumours with novel cellular immunotherapies will help address the unmet need for new treatment options for ovarian cancer patients.

Professor Alan Trounson, CEO, Cartherics, said, “We are pleased to have patents issued in China as well as other major world markets. The expansion of the patent portfolio provides further commercial impetus for the company’s innovative immunotherapy research and the therapies that we are developing.”