BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. announced that it has filed a provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) outlining certain features thought to improve clinical efficacy of whole-cell cancer vaccines.

The patent application, entitled “WHOLE-CELL CANCER VACCINES EXPRESSING IMMUNE STIMULATORS”, is based on molecular analyses of both the company’s lead anti-cancer product candidate, BriaVax™, and blood samples collected from patients treated with BriaVax™ in a previous Phase I clinical study. BriaCell has identified a “gene signature” in BriaVax™ that seems consistent with its strong anti-tumor activity observed at multiple sites including the breast, the lungs, and the brain in a patient who had failed prior cancer treatments.

Cancer vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy the patient’s tumors. The set of genes, or “gene signature”, identified by BriaCell, may be unique in promoting these strong anti-tumor immune responses. The patent application, in essence, seeks protection for cell line-derived vaccines expressing genes of the “gene signature” and methods of use for such vaccines.

“This patent application represents a significant milestone in our efforts to understand how BriaVax™ exerts its anti-tumor activity, and, more importantly, it contains information on what to look out for if we were to generate additional cancer vaccines,” said Dr. Lacher, BriaCell’s Head of R&D. “The discovery of the gene signature in BriaVax™ is a key step to developing BriaDx™, a companion diagnostic test for identifying the patients who are most likely to benefit from BriaVax™ treatments. By identifying and treating such patients, we intend to bring hope to many cancer patients with few or no therapeutic options.”

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