A patent (JP7175068) was granted in Japan to Saitama Medical University for the patent application “Biomarker for predicting response to cancer therapy” which is a result of the collaborative research by Saitama Medical University and ImmuniT Research Inc.

We are pleased to inform you that a patent has been established for “Biomarker for predicting response to cancer therapy” applied by Saitama Medical University (JP7175068) (hereafter referred to as “this patent”) derived from the collaborative research with ImmuniT Research Inc. In addition, we are confident that patent rights for foreign applications and Japanese divisional applications of the relevant patent

would be acquired in due course.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as Opdivo® and Keytruda® have groundbreaking therapeutic effects in many types of cancer, and new research and development is being vigorously pursued worldwide, including in combination therapy with other treatment and drugs. On the other hand, it is also known that about half of the patients who receive treatment with these drugs experience early progression of disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a technology to predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors before or early after the start of treatment and to choose an immune checkpoint inhibitor appropriate for each patient. We have established a research laboratory in the Research Park of Saitama Medical University, and by joint research with the university, we have been working eagerly to commercialize a technology for the prediction of the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors or PD-L1 inhibitors by measuring specific immune cells (CD62 LlowCD4 T cells) in peripheral blood of cancer patients, based on the research results of our science advisor, Professor Hiroshi Kagamu of Saitama Medical University, (Patent No. 6664-684).

This patent is the results of the collaborative research between Professor Hiroshi Kagamu of Saitama Medical University and ImmuniT Research Inc. and related to new immune cells called CCR4- CCR6+ CD4+ T cells. The results described in this patent have made it possible to predict the effects of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors more easily than ever before, with extremely high sensitivity and specificity. We have made great progress in commercializing the method for predicting the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Furthermore, this patent covers not only the effect prediction of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors, but also the prediction of cancer treatments such as chemoradiation therapy.

Upon this patent we will aim at exclusively commercialize the companion diagnostic-related business in Japan. We will continue to strive to realize personal anti-cancer immunotherapy.