Scancell Holdings plc, (‘Scancell’ or the ‘Company’) the developer of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, is pleased to announce that a patent for its DNA ImmunoBody® technology has now been granted in Europe.
The European patent, number 2134357, granted by the European Patent Office, covers Scancell’s DNA ImmunoBody® platform technology and is key to the protection of the Company’s pipeline of ImmunoBody®vaccines, including lead candidates, SCIB1 and SCIB2.

On issuance, this patent will extend coverage of Scancell’s intellectual property into another important market for Scancell. Counterparts to this patent have already been granted in the United States, Australia and Japan.

The European patent covers the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Turkey.

Dr. Richard Goodfellow, Chief Executive Officer of Scancell, commented:
“The addition of this key European patent for DNA ImmunoBody® significantly bolsters our global intellectual property portfolio as we position the company for future growth.”

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About Scancell

Scancell is developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer based on its ImmunoBody® an Moditope® technology platforms. Scancell’s first ImmunoBody®, SCIB1 is being developed for the treatment of melanoma. Data from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial demonstrate that SCIB1, when used as monotherapy, has a marked effect on tumour load, produces a melanoma-specific immune response and highly encouraging survival trend without serious side effects. In patients with resected disease there is increasing evidence to suggest that SCIB1 may delay or prevent disease recurrence.

Scancell’s ImmunoBody® vaccines target dendritic cells and stimulate both parts of the cellular immune system: the helper cell system where inflammation is stimulated at the tumour site and the cytotoxic Tlymphocyte or CTL response where immune system cells are primed to recognise and kill specific cells.

Pre-clinical data on a combination of SCIB1 or SCIB2 and checkpoint inhibition (blockade of the PD-1 or CTLA-4 immune checkpoint pathways) have shown enhanced tumour destruction and significantly longer survival times than when either treatment was used alone. Experimental data suggests that the high avidity T cells induced by ImmunoBody® vaccines increase expression of PDL-1 on the tumour cell surface, thereby making the tumours more sensitive to checkpoint inhibitor drugs. Re-challenging animals with tumour cells after SCIB1 treatment resulted in 100% survival suggesting that ImmunoBody® induces a powerful memory response. Such an effect has not been observed with checkpoint inhibitors.

Scancell has also identified and patented a series of modified epitopes that stimulate the production of killer CD4+ T cells that destroy tumours without toxicity. The Directors believe that the Moditope® platform could play a major role in the development of safe and effective cancer immunotherapies in the future.