How Genentech's Antibodies Stop Tumor Blood Vessel Growth
A Genentech patent for specific lab-made antibodies that block a protein called VEGF, effectively starving tumors of the blood supply they need to grow.
Original patent title: “Anti-vegf antibodies”
A Genentech patent for specific lab-made antibodies that block a protein called VEGF, effectively starving tumors of the blood supply they need to grow. Granted to Genentech Inc in 2007 with 10 claims and 54 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for stopping angiogenesis, which is the process of creating new blood vessels. Tumors often use a protein called VEGF to signal the body to grow new vessels to feed them. The patent claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → a specific humanized antibody designed to bind to VEGF with high affinity, effectively neutralizing it. By blocking this signal, the antibody prevents the proliferation of endothelial cells, which are the cells that line blood vessels, thereby inhibiting tumor growth.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover antibodies that bind to VEGF with a lower affinity than 1x10^-8 M.
- Does not cover antibodies that lack the specific amino acid sequences defined in the CDR regions.
- Does not cover non-humanized antibodies or other types of VEGF inhibitors like small molecule drugs.
- Does not cover general methods of cancer treatment that do not specifically target the VEGF pathway.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in the specific humanization of the antibody sequences, which allows the drug to be effective in humans without triggering a massive immune rejection response, while maintaining high binding affinity to the target protein.
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
Avastin (bevacizumab)
Lucentis (ranibizumab)
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is fundamental to modern oncology and ophthalmology. It provided the intellectual property foundation for Avastin (bevacizumab), a blockbuster drug used to treat various cancers and eye conditions like macular degeneration. It represents a shift toward targeted biological therapies rather than broad-spectrum chemotherapy.
Filed
October 26, 2004
Granted
November 20, 2007
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Genentech, now a member of the Roche Group, remains the primary developer of these technologies. Many biosimilar manufacturers are also active in this space as the original patents expire, creating generic versions of these complex biological drugs.
Market impact
This patent helped define the anti-angiogenic therapy market. It enabled the development of a multi-billion dollar class of drugs that transformed cancer care and prevented blindness in millions of patients by controlling abnormal blood vessel growth.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for stopping angiogenesis, which is the process of creating new blood vessels. Tumors often use a protein called VEGF to signal the body to grow new vessels to feed them. The patent claims a specific humanized antibody designed to bind to VEGF with high affinity, effectively neutralizing it. By blocking this signal, the antibody prevents the proliferation of endothelial cells, which are the cells that line blood vessels, thereby inhibiting tumor growth.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in the specific humanization of the antibody sequences, which allows the drug to be effective in humans without triggering a massive immune rejection response, while maintaining high binding affinity to the target protein.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover antibodies that bind to VEGF with a lower affinity than 1x10^-8 M.
- Does not cover antibodies that lack the specific amino acid sequences defined in the CDR regions.
- Does not cover non-humanized antibodies or other types of VEGF inhibitors like small molecule drugs.
- Does not cover general methods of cancer treatment that do not specifically target the VEGF pathway.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
35/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
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
$81K – $259K
Midpoint $162K · expired or expiring · 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.
The original legal language
Original claims
10 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Baca, M., Presta, L. G., Wells, J. A., Chen, Y. M., & Lowman, H. B. (2007). How Genentech's Antibodies Stop Tumor Blood Vessel Growth (U.S. Patent No. 7,297,334). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7297334/anti-cd20-antibody-therapy
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 Genentech's Antibodies Stop Tumor Blood Vessel Growth cover?
A Genentech patent for specific lab-made antibodies that block a protein called VEGF, effectively starving tumors of the blood supply they need to grow.
Who owns patent US 7297334?
Genentech Inc owns this patent, granted in 2007.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 20, 2027, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 7297334 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 54 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is fundamental to modern oncology and ophthalmology. It provided the intellectual property foundation for Avastin (bevacizumab), a blockbuster drug used to treat various cancers and eye conditions like macular degeneration. It represents a shift toward targeted biological therapies rather than broad-spectrum chemotherapy.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover antibodies that bind to VEGF with a lower affinity than 1x10^-8 M.
Same assignee
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