Treating Liver Cancer with Specially Trained Immune Cells
This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer by giving patients specially activated immune cells that are trained to recognize and kill cancer cells displaying a specific protein fragment.
Original patent title: “Peptides and combination of peptides for use in immunotherapy against non-small cell lung cancer and other cancers”
This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer by giving patients specially activated immune cells that are trained to recognize and kill cancer cells displaying a specific protein fragment. Granted to Immatics Biotechnologies in 2024 with 22 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2043.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer, a type of liver cancer, by administering activated T cells to a patient. These T cells are specifically designed to kill cancer cells that display a particular peptide, KVLEHVVRV (SEQ ID NO: 1), on their surface, bound to an MHC class I molecule (claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). The activated T cells can be created in two main ways: either by genetically modifying T cells with a specific T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes the target peptide (claim 2), or by training T cells outside the body using special 'antigen presenting cells' that display the peptide (claim 3). The treatment can also include giving additional helper medicines, called adjuvants, such as IL-2, IL-7, or IL-15, to boost the immune response (claim 4). For example, a patient with hepatocellular cancer could receive an infusion of their own T cells, modified in a lab to target the KVLEHVVRV peptide found on their tumor cells.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular cancer.
- Does not cover targeting cancer cells with peptides other than KVLEHVVRV (SEQ ID NO: 1).
- Does not cover methods where the T cells do not bind the target peptide in a complex with an MHC class I molecule.
- Does not cover cancer immunotherapies that do not involve administering activated T cells, such as traditional vaccines using the peptide 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 a specific peptide, KVLEHVVRV, as a target for T cells in hepatocellular cancer, and then outlining precise methods to activate T cells to recognize this peptide when presented by MHC class I molecules on tumor 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
TCR-T cell therapies for solid tumors
CAR-T cell therapies (a related but distinct approach)
Personalized cancer immunotherapies
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Hepatocellular cancer is a challenging disease to treat, and targeted immunotherapies offer new hope. This patent focuses on a highly specific approach, using the body's own immune system, specifically T cells, to identify and destroy cancer cells based on a unique marker. Such targeted therapies aim to reduce side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy by focusing the attack directly on tumor cells.
Filed
October 19, 2023
Granted
December 17, 2024
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) engineered T-cell therapies for cancer. Other companies like Adaptimmune and Immunocore are also active in the TCR-T cell therapy space, developing similar approaches to target specific cancer-associated peptides.
Market impact
The development of highly specific T-cell therapies, such as those described in this patent, has opened new avenues for treating cancers that were previously difficult to manage. This approach contributes to the growing field of personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to the specific molecular characteristics of a patient's tumor. Such therapies have the potential to create new product categories and significantly impact patient outcomes in oncology.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer, a type of liver cancer, by administering activated T cells to a patient. These T cells are specifically designed to kill cancer cells that display a particular peptide, KVLEHVVRV (SEQ ID NO: 1), on their surface, bound to an MHC class I molecule (claim 1). The activated T cells can be created in two main ways: either by genetically modifying T cells with a specific T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes the target peptide (claim 2), or by training T cells outside the body using special 'antigen presenting cells' that display the peptide (claim 3). The treatment can also include giving additional helper medicines, called adjuvants, such as IL-2, IL-7, or IL-15, to boost the immune response (claim 4). For example, a patient with hepatocellular cancer could receive an infusion of their own T cells, modified in a lab to target the KVLEHVVRV peptide found on their tumor cells.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in identifying a specific peptide, KVLEHVVRV, as a target for T cells in hepatocellular cancer, and then outlining precise methods to activate T cells to recognize this peptide when presented by MHC class I molecules on tumor cells.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular cancer.
- Does not cover targeting cancer cells with peptides other than KVLEHVVRV (SEQ ID NO: 1).
- Does not cover methods where the T cells do not bind the target peptide in a complex with an MHC class I molecule.
- Does not cover cancer immunotherapies that do not involve administering activated T cells, such as traditional vaccines using the peptide 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
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 · 17.3 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
Schoor, O., MAHR, A., & Weinschenk, T. (2024). Treating Liver Cancer with Specially Trained Immune Cells (U.S. Patent No. 12,168,044). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12168044/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-non-small-
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 Treating Liver Cancer with Specially Trained Immune Cells cover?
This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer by giving patients specially activated immune cells that are trained to recognize and kill cancer cells displaying a specific protein fragment.
Who owns patent US 12168044?
Immatics Biotechnologies owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 19, 2043, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Hepatocellular cancer is a challenging disease to treat, and targeted immunotherapies offer new hope. This patent focuses on a highly specific approach, using the body's own immune system, specifically T cells, to identify and destroy cancer cells based on a unique marker. Such targeted therapies aim to reduce side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy by focusing the attack directly on tumor cells.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular cancer.
Same assignee
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