On January 25, 2022 Anixa Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIX), a biotechnology company focused on the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious diseases, reported that the Japanese Patent Office has issued a Decision to Grant of a patent to Cleveland Clinic titled, "Ovarian Cancer Vaccines (Press release, Anixa Biosciences, JAN 25, 2022, View Source [SID1234606764])." The technology was invented by Drs. Vincent K. Tuohy, Suparna Mazumder and Justin M. Johnson at Cleveland Clinic. Anixa is the worldwide licensee for the vaccine technology. Patents for the technology were issued in the U.S. and Europe in 2021.
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"We’re pleased to announce this additional intellectual property protection of Anixa’s novel ovarian cancer vaccine, which was developed at Cleveland Clinic and is being studied at NCI. This unique technology has the potential to be the first vaccine to prevent ovarian cancer, which remains one of the most devastating and difficult-to-treat cancers," said Dr. Amit Kumar, CEO, President and Chairman of Anixa Biosciences. "If successful, this vaccine could prevent ovarian cancer from ever occurring and spare patients from undergoing chemotherapy and extensive surgical treatments, and potentially save lives. We look forward to continuing our preclinical work in the hope that this vaccine will add to the arsenal needed to target this challenging cancer and ultimately make a difference for many patients."
The 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. Of note, the majority of ovarian cancer diagnoses occur after menopause, and AMHR2-ED is expressed again in the majority of ovarian cancers. By receiving a vaccine such as Anixa’s that targets AMHR2-ED after reaching menopause, ovarian cancer, historically one of the most aggressive gynecological cancers, could be prevented from ever developing.
Preclinical work to advance the vaccine is ongoing through the PREVENT Program at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which supports preclinical innovative interventions and biomarkers for cancer prevention and interception. Preclinical data published in Cancer Prevention Research in 2017 supports ongoing advancement toward clinical studies.