Ovarian Cancer Vaccine Patent Broadened

Anixa Biosciences, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Notice of Allowance broadening protection of Anixa's novel ovarian cancer vaccine technology, which has been exclusively licensed from, and is being developed in partnership with The Cleveland Clinic.  

This ovarian cancer vaccine targets the extracellular domain of anti-Müllerian hormone receptor 2 (AMHR2-ED), which is expressed in the ovaries but disappears as a woman reaches and advances through menopause.

However, AMHR2-ED is expressed again in the majority of ovarian cancers.

Dr. Amit Kumar, Chairman and CEO of Anixa, stated in a press release on July 27, 2023, "We are pleased to receive this notice of allowance from the USPTO, providing additional protection for our ovarian cancer vaccine technology, including a possible mRNA vaccine."

"Preclinical work to advance the vaccine is ongoing with support from the PREVENT Program at the National Cancer Institute, which supports preclinical innovative interventions and biomarkers for cancer prevention and interception."

The patent is titled "Ovarian Cancer Vaccines" and covers nucleic acid-based vaccine delivery. The late Dr. Vincent Tuohy of The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is the lead inventor.

As of July 2023, the U.S. FDA has not approved an ovarian cancer vaccine.

Silvia Licciulli, Ph.D., wrote on June 7, 2023, the concept of using vaccination to eradicate cancer by instructing the immune system to eliminate malignant cells has been pursued for decades with little success.

To be successful, cancer vaccine approaches must overcome significant hurdles, including low immunogenicity and the immunosuppressive effects of the tumor microenvironment.