TÜBINGEN, Germany and BOSTON, June 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CureVac AG, a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based drugs, announced that it received a patent grant from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and two patent grants from the European Patent Office for the intratumoral administration of RNA. These patents strengthen CureVac’s industry-leading position in the oncology space as the intratumoral application of RNA – particularly mRNA-encoded therapeutics – gains traction in treating selected cancers.
The U.S. patent (US10,293,058) and the first European patent (EP3326641) cover intratumoral administration of non-coding, immunostimulating RNA for the treatment of cancer patients receiving anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab or nivolumab. These patents guarantee protection for CureVac’s intratumoral clinical product candidate, CV8102, in the U.S. and Europe through 2036.
The second European patent (EP3173092) covers the intratumoral application of IL-12-encoded mRNA to patients who also receive a PD-1 pathway inhibitor or a CTLA-4 inhibitor. IL-12 qualifies as one of the most promising cytokines for cancer immunotherapy due to its multiple anti-cancer activities.
CureVac is currently focused on the development of two candidates for the intratumoral treatment of selected cancers. CV8102, currently in a Phase I clinical trial, uses non-coding, immunostimulating RNA to activate the TLR 7/8 and RIG I pathways for developing an anticancer immune response. A second candidate, currently in preclinical development, will comprise mRNA-encoding proteins such as IL-12 that will be expressed in the tumor tissue to induce anticancer immunity.
These patents strengthen CureVac’s broad IP portfolio which is among the most comprehensive in the industry, with more than 110 patent families, over 1,100 patent family members and more than 200 granted patents.
About CureVac AG
CureVac is a leading company in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology with more than 19 years’ expertise in handling and optimizing this versatile molecule for medical purposes. The principle of CureVac's proprietary technology is the use of mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of fighting a wide range of diseases. The company applies its technologies for the development of cancer therapies, antibody therapies, the treatment of rare diseases, and prophylactic vaccines. To date, CureVac has received approximately $420 million (€400 million) in equity investments, including significant investments from SAP founder Dietmar Hopp’s dievini and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CureVac has also entered into collaborations with multinational corporations and organizations, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co, CRISPR Therapeutics, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others.
For more information, please visit www.curevac.com or follow us on Twitter at @CureVacAG.
Media Contact
Jenn Gordon, Media Relations
Global Health PR, New York, United States
T: +1 202-587-2580
jgordon@globalhealthpr.com
Investor Contact
Matthew Beck, Vice President Investor Relations
CureVac AG, Boston, MA, United States
T: +1 917-415-1750
matthew.beck@curevac.com