How Engineered Antibodies Target TGF-beta Proteins to Fight Cancer
This patent describes specific engineered antibodies, made from mouse and human parts, designed to block TGF-beta proteins to help treat various cancers like breast or lung cancer.
Original patent title: “Humanized anti-TGF-beta antibodies”
This patent describes specific engineered antibodies, made from mouse and human parts, designed to block TGF-beta proteins to help treat various cancers like breast or lung cancer. Granted to Genentech Inc in 2009 with 27 claims and 756 forward citations.
Key facts
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 type of 'humanized antibody' designed to bind to and block TGF-beta proteins (TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, or TGF-beta3). A humanized antibody is engineered to combine the target-binding parts of a non-human antibody with the structural parts of a human antibody, making it less likely for a human body to reject. Specifically, the antibody has a variable heavy (VH) domain that includes non-human hypervariable regions (like those from SEQ ID NO: 21, 23, and 43) inserted into a human framework region (like SEQ ID NO:6). This human framework region also has specific amino acid changes, or 'substitutions,' at certain positions (e.g., 48, 49, 68, and 72). The antibody also includes specific variable light (VL) domain complementarity-determining-region (CDR) residues (like SEQ ID NO:18, 19, and 20). These antibodies are intended for treating TGF-beta disorders, such as colo-rectal cancer, melanoma, or cancers of the breast, prostate, or lung, as mentioned in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 23.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover antibodies that are entirely mouse-derived or entirely human-derived, as it specifically claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → a 'humanized' antibody combining non-human hypervariable regions with a human framework.
- Does not cover antibodies that bind to proteins other than TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, or TGF-beta3, as specified in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1.
- Does not cover humanized antibodies with different specific amino acid sequences in their hypervariable or framework regions than those listed (e.g., SEQ ID NO:6, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 43) or different framework substitutions.
- Does not cover small molecule drugs or other types of biologics that are not antibodies or antibody fragments (like Fab fragments, as in claimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 19).
- Does not cover methods of treating disorders that are not related to TGF-beta, even if they are cancers.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The cleverness lies in identifying the precise amino acid changes, or 'substitutions,' within the human framework regions of the antibody (e.g., at positions 48, 49, 68, and 72 as detailed in claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → 1-13). These specific changes are crucial for ensuring the humanized antibody maintains its strong ability to bind to TGF-beta while also being recognized as 'self' by the human immune system, thus reducing unwanted side effects.
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
Humanized antibody therapies for various cancers
Oncology drugs targeting growth factor pathways
Antibodies in clinical trials for fibrosis, where TGF-beta also plays a role
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Humanized antibodies were a major step in making antibody-based drugs safe and effective for people, as earlier non-human antibodies often caused severe immune reactions. TGF-beta is a protein that can promote tumor growth and spread in many cancers, so blocking it with an antibody like the one described here offers a way to potentially slow down or stop cancer progression. Genentech, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a leading biotechnology company known for developing many successful antibody therapies for cancer.
Filed
March 31, 2005
Granted
May 5, 2009
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Genentech, now part of Roche, continues to be a major player in developing antibody therapies, including those for cancer. Other large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies like AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Merck are also actively researching and developing antibodies that target the TGF-beta pathway for various diseases, including oncology and fibrotic conditions.
Market impact
The development of humanized antibodies, generally, transformed the pharmaceutical industry by enabling the creation of highly specific and effective biologic drugs with reduced side effects. This patent specifically contributes to the field of targeted cancer therapies by providing a blueprint for antibodies that interfere with the TGF-beta pathway, a known contributor to tumor growth and immune suppression. This approach has led to numerous clinical trials and the development of new drug candidates aimed at modulating this pathway in cancer and other diseases.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent claims a specific type of 'humanized antibody' designed to bind to and block TGF-beta proteins (TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, or TGF-beta3). A humanized antibody is engineered to combine the target-binding parts of a non-human antibody with the structural parts of a human antibody, making it less likely for a human body to reject. Specifically, the antibody has a variable heavy (VH) domain that includes non-human hypervariable regions (like those from SEQ ID NO: 21, 23, and 43) inserted into a human framework region (like SEQ ID NO:6). This human framework region also has specific amino acid changes, or 'substitutions,' at certain positions (e.g., 48, 49, 68, and 72). The antibody also includes specific variable light (VL) domain complementarity-determining-region (CDR) residues (like SEQ ID NO:18, 19, and 20). These antibodies are intended for treating TGF-beta disorders, such as colo-rectal cancer, melanoma, or cancers of the breast, prostate, or lung, as mentioned in claim 23.
The clever bit
The cleverness lies in identifying the precise amino acid changes, or 'substitutions,' within the human framework regions of the antibody (e.g., at positions 48, 49, 68, and 72 as detailed in claims 1-13). These specific changes are crucial for ensuring the humanized antibody maintains its strong ability to bind to TGF-beta while also being recognized as 'self' by the human immune system, thus reducing unwanted side effects.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover antibodies that are entirely mouse-derived or entirely human-derived, as it specifically claims a 'humanized' antibody combining non-human hypervariable regions with a human framework.
- Does not cover antibodies that bind to proteins other than TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, or TGF-beta3, as specified in claim 1.
- Does not cover humanized antibodies with different specific amino acid sequences in their hypervariable or framework regions than those listed (e.g., SEQ ID NO:6, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 43) or different framework substitutions.
- Does not cover small molecule drugs or other types of biologics that are not antibodies or antibody fragments (like Fab fragments, as in claim 19).
- Does not cover methods of treating disorders that are not related to TGF-beta, even if they are cancers.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
High impact
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
18/20
Very broad protection
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
$219K – $702K
Midpoint $439K · 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
27 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Presta, L. G., Ferrara, N., Mao, W., Filvaroff, E. H., Adams, C. W., & Tejada, M. L. (2009). How Engineered Antibodies Target TGF-beta Proteins to Fight Cancer (U.S. Patent No. 7,527,791). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7527791/ipilimumab-yervoy
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 Engineered Antibodies Target TGF-beta Proteins to Fight Cancer cover?
This patent describes specific engineered antibodies, made from mouse and human parts, designed to block TGF-beta proteins to help treat various cancers like breast or lung cancer.
Who owns patent US 7527791?
Genentech Inc owns this patent, granted in 2009.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on May 5, 2029, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 7527791 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 756 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Humanized antibodies were a major step in making antibody-based drugs safe and effective for people, as earlier non-human antibodies often caused severe immune reactions. TGF-beta is a protein that can promote tumor growth and spread in many cancers, so blocking it with an antibody like the one described here offers a way to potentially slow down or stop cancer progression. Genentech, the assignee, is a leading biotechnology company known for developing many successful antibody therapies for cancer.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover antibodies that are entirely mouse-derived or entirely human-derived, as it specifically claims a 'humanized' antibody combining non-human hypervariable regions with a human framework.
Same assignee
More from Genentech Inc
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