Imugene patent granted in Europe

Immuno-oncology company Imugene (ASX:IMU) has received a Notice of Grant from the European Patent Office for Patent Application 10744895.3, which protects the company’s HER-Vaxx cancer immunotherapy.

HER-Vaxx is a proprietary therapeutic cancer immunotherapy designed to treat tumours that overexpress the HER-2/neu receptor — such as gastric, breast, ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers — by stimulating a polyclonal antibody response to that receptor. HER-Vaxx has successfully completed a Phase I study in breast cancer; the next stage of development will be a Phase Ib/II study in gastric cancer.

The new patent protects the method of composition and method of use to 2030 of Imugene’s HER-Vaxx for the generation of a therapeutic antibody response against HER-2/neu. According to Imugene Chief Operating Officer Leslie Chong, the strengthening of the company’s patent portfolio in Europe is “an important milestone and underpins our commercialisation strategy”.

The news follows yesterday’s announcement that Imugene Non-Executive Director Otto Buttula has resigned. He will leave the company board on 15 January after 18 months of service, having expressed an interest in returning to more hands-on executive duties in 2016.

Imugene Chairman Paul Hopper expressed his appreciation for Buttula’s contributions both as a board member and a major shareholder, the latter of which Buttula intends to remain.

Imugene (ASX:IMU) shares were trading 10% higher at $0.011 as of around 1 pm on Friday.