Oxford BioMedica says TroVax received Notice of Allowance protection from U.S. patent office

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Nov. 22 - Oxford BioMedica announced Tuesday that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a key patent application, which, the company said, significantly extends the protection of TroVax, Oxford's lead cancer vaccine.

It is expected that the patent will be issued during 2006. This patent is one of several granted and pending patents that protect the company's use of the 5T4 tumor antigen, according to a company news release. The Notice of Allowance covers immunotherapy approaches directed against the 5T4 tumor antigen.

5T4 is a tumor-associated antigen that is expressed at high levels on a wide range of tumor types, including colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma and breast cancer, among others.

The 5T4 antigen is frequently correlated with poor prognosis and metastatic spread. Although present on tumor cells, 5T4 is not found on any essential organs. These and other unique characteristics make 5T4 an ideal target for immunotherapy treatment in a wide range of cancer types, officials said.

"This Notice of Allowance, together with several other granted and pending patents, provide clear protection in most major territories for our lead product, TroVax, as well as next generation cancer vaccines based on the 5T4 antigen. [This] further strengthens our negotiating position with potential partners for TroVax as we progress into phase 3 development," BioMedica senior vice president for commercial development Peter Nolan said in the release.

BioMedica is an Oxford, England, biopharmaceutical company focusing on development of gene-based cancer therapeutics.

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