How a Specific Peptide Boosts the Immune System Against Cancer
This patent describes a specific peptide sequence, KESDGFHRF, combined with immune-boosting substances and a safe delivery method, for use in treating cancer through immunotherapy.
Original patent title: “Peptides and combination thereof for use in the immunotherapy against cancers”
This patent describes a specific peptide sequence, KESDGFHRF, combined with immune-boosting substances and a safe delivery method, for use in treating cancer through immunotherapy. Granted to Immatics Biotechnologies in 2023 with 10 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → a specific recipe for a cancer treatment. It involves a particular protein fragment, called a peptide, with the exact amino acid sequence KESDGFHRF (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). This peptide is combined with an 'adjuvant,' which is a substance that helps make the immune response stronger. The patent lists several possible adjuvants, including imiquimod, GM-CSF, and various interleukins like IL-2, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, and IL-21 (Claim 2). All these ingredients are mixed into a 'pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,' which is a safe way to deliver the medicine to a patient. For example, a composition could include the KESDGFHRF peptide, IL-2 as the adjuvant (Claim 3), and a buffer for stability (Claim 8), all within a safe liquid carrier for injection.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover cancer immunotherapies that use different peptide sequences than KESDGFHRF.
- Does not cover the peptide KESDGFHRF when administered without an adjuvant.
- Does not cover the peptide KESDGFHRF without a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- Does not cover using only the listed adjuvants without the specific KESDGFHRF peptide.
- Does not cover non-immunotherapy treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy alone.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in identifying and claiming a very specific nine-amino-acid peptide, KESDGFHRF, as a key component for stimulating an immune response against tumors. The patent then combines this specific peptide with known immune-boosting adjuvants and delivery methods, creating a precise formulation for immunotherapy.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Experimental cancer vaccines
T-cell stimulating therapies
Immunotherapy drug candidates
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Cancer immunotherapy aims to train a patient's own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This patent contributes to that field by identifying a specific peptide that can potentially act as a target for the immune system. By combining this peptide with adjuvants, the goal is to create a stronger, more focused anti-tumor immune response, offering a new approach to fight various cancers.
Filed
June 25, 2021
Granted
January 3, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Immatics Biotechnologies, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing T-cell receptor (TCR) based immunotherapies for cancer. They are actively researching and developing therapies that leverage the body's own immune system to fight tumors, often involving the identification of specific tumor-associated peptides like the one in this patent. Other companies in the broader oncology and immunotherapy space are also exploring similar peptide-based vaccine and T-cell therapy approaches.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the growing field of cancer immunotherapy, which has transformed cancer treatment paradigms. By identifying specific tumor-associated peptides and combining them with immune-stimulating adjuvants, it aims to enable the development of targeted therapies. Such innovations can lead to new drug candidates, potentially offering more precise and effective treatments for patients, and expanding the market for personalized cancer medicines.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent claims a specific recipe for a cancer treatment. It involves a particular protein fragment, called a peptide, with the exact amino acid sequence KESDGFHRF (Claim 1). This peptide is combined with an 'adjuvant,' which is a substance that helps make the immune response stronger. The patent lists several possible adjuvants, including imiquimod, GM-CSF, and various interleukins like IL-2, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, and IL-21 (Claim 2). All these ingredients are mixed into a 'pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,' which is a safe way to deliver the medicine to a patient. For example, a composition could include the KESDGFHRF peptide, IL-2 as the adjuvant (Claim 3), and a buffer for stability (Claim 8), all within a safe liquid carrier for injection.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in identifying and claiming a very specific nine-amino-acid peptide, KESDGFHRF, as a key component for stimulating an immune response against tumors. The patent then combines this specific peptide with known immune-boosting adjuvants and delivery methods, creating a precise formulation for immunotherapy.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover cancer immunotherapies that use different peptide sequences than KESDGFHRF.
- Does not cover the peptide KESDGFHRF when administered without an adjuvant.
- Does not cover the peptide KESDGFHRF without a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- Does not cover using only the listed adjuvants without the specific KESDGFHRF peptide.
- Does not cover non-immunotherapy treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy alone.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$108K – $346K
Midpoint $216K · 15.0 yr remaining · industry ×3.0
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
10 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
WALZ, J. S., Kowalewski, D. J., Rammensee, H., Loeffler, M., NELDE, A., MARCO, M. D., Stevanovic, S., TRAUTWEIN, N., & HAEN, S. (2023). How a Specific Peptide Boosts the Immune System Against Cancer (U.S. Patent No. 11,542,303). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11542303/peptides-and-combination-thereof-for-use-in-the-immunotherapy-against-cancers
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Specific Peptide Boosts the Immune System Against Cancer cover?
This patent describes a specific peptide sequence, KESDGFHRF, combined with immune-boosting substances and a safe delivery method, for use in treating cancer through immunotherapy.
Who owns patent US 11542303?
Immatics Biotechnologies owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on June 25, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11542303 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Cancer immunotherapy aims to train a patient's own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This patent contributes to that field by identifying a specific peptide that can potentially act as a target for the immune system. By combining this peptide with adjuvants, the goal is to create a stronger, more focused anti-tumor immune response, offering a new approach to fight various cancers.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover cancer immunotherapies that use different peptide sequences than KESDGFHRF.
Same assignee
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