Targeting Liver and Bile Duct Cancers with Specific Immune Cells
This patent describes a method to treat liver and bile duct cancers by using specially activated immune cells that recognize a unique protein fragment found on these cancer cells.
Original patent title: “Peptides and combination thereof for use in the immunotherapy against cancers”
This patent describes a method to treat liver and bile duct cancers by using specially activated immune cells that recognize a unique protein fragment found on these cancer cells. Granted to Immatics Biotechnologies in 2023 with 22 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2042.
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 method for treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer) or bile duct cancer. The treatment involves giving the patient a composition containing activated CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. These T cells are specifically trained to recognize and bind to a particular peptide, LTDSFPLKV (SEQ ID NO: 37), when it's presented on the surface of cancer cells by an MHC class I molecule, as stated in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1. The patent also covers methods where the composition includes an adjuvant, such as IL-2 or IL-7, to boost the immune response (claim 2). For example, a patient with bile duct cancer could receive an infusion of these specially prepared T cells, potentially alongside an immune-boosting substance, to help their body fight the cancer.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma or bile duct cancer.
- Does not cover targeting peptide sequences different from LTDSFPLKV (SEQ ID NO: 37).
- Does not cover therapies that use immune cells other than activated CD8+ cytotoxic T cells.
- Does not cover methods where the target peptide is not presented in a complex with an MHC class I molecule on the cancer cell surface.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The core innovation lies in identifying the specific peptide sequence, LTDSFPLKV (SEQ ID NO: 37), as a unique marker on hepatocellular carcinoma and bile duct cancer cells that can be targeted by the immune system's CD8+ T cells.
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
Adoptive T-cell therapy for solid tumors
Personalized cancer immunotherapies
T-cell receptor (TCR) based therapies
Cancer vaccines using specific tumor antigens
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Hepatocellular carcinoma and bile duct cancer are often aggressive and difficult to treat with traditional therapies. This patent offers a targeted immunotherapy approach, aiming to specifically direct the body's immune system to destroy these particular cancer cells. By identifying a unique cancer-specific peptide, it provides a potential pathway for more precise and effective treatments for these challenging diseases.
Filed
July 8, 2022
Granted
January 24, 2023
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, 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 pursuing programs that leverage specific tumor-associated peptides to train and deploy T cells against various cancers. Other companies in the T-cell therapy space, such as Kite Pharma (a Gilead Company) and Novartis, are also developing similar adoptive cell therapies.
Market impact
This patent contributes to the growing field of personalized cancer immunotherapy, particularly for solid tumors like liver and bile duct cancers which have limited treatment options. It could enable the development of new therapeutic products by Immatics or its partners, potentially offering a more targeted approach than traditional chemotherapy. The identification of specific tumor targets like SEQ ID NO: 37 is crucial for expanding the range of treatable cancers with T-cell therapies.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent claims a method for treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer) or bile duct cancer. The treatment involves giving the patient a composition containing activated CD8+ cytotoxic T cells. These T cells are specifically trained to recognize and bind to a particular peptide, LTDSFPLKV (SEQ ID NO: 37), when it's presented on the surface of cancer cells by an MHC class I molecule, as stated in claim 1. The patent also covers methods where the composition includes an adjuvant, such as IL-2 or IL-7, to boost the immune response (claim 2). For example, a patient with bile duct cancer could receive an infusion of these specially prepared T cells, potentially alongside an immune-boosting substance, to help their body fight the cancer.
The clever bit
The core innovation lies in identifying the specific peptide sequence, LTDSFPLKV (SEQ ID NO: 37), as a unique marker on hepatocellular carcinoma and bile duct cancer cells that can be targeted by the immune system's CD8+ T cells.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma or bile duct cancer.
- Does not cover targeting peptide sequences different from LTDSFPLKV (SEQ ID NO: 37).
- Does not cover therapies that use immune cells other than activated CD8+ cytotoxic T cells.
- Does not cover methods where the target peptide is not presented in a complex with an MHC class I molecule on the cancer cell surface.
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
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
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
$88K – $281K
Midpoint $176K · 15.9 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
22 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). Targeting Liver and Bile Duct Cancers with Specific Immune Cells (U.S. Patent No. 11,560,405). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11560405/peptides-and-combination-thereof-for-use-in-the-immunotherapy-against-cancers-11560405
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 Targeting Liver and Bile Duct Cancers with Specific Immune Cells cover?
This patent describes a method to treat liver and bile duct cancers by using specially activated immune cells that recognize a unique protein fragment found on these cancer cells.
Who owns patent US 11560405?
Immatics Biotechnologies owns this patent, granted in 2023.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 8, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Hepatocellular carcinoma and bile duct cancer are often aggressive and difficult to treat with traditional therapies. This patent offers a targeted immunotherapy approach, aiming to specifically direct the body's immune system to destroy these particular cancer cells. By identifying a unique cancer-specific peptide, it provides a potential pathway for more precise and effective treatments for these challenging diseases.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma or bile duct cancer.
Same assignee
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