VaxCell-Bio said it submitted an international patent for a new multiple myeloma treatment known as chimeric-antigen receptor-marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (CAR-MILs) in Europe and China.
The submission marks a significant step becasue it is the first time a Korean firm has sought international patent protection for the novel CAR-MILs candidate, the Kosdaq-listed company said.
Following its initial patent application in Korea in January, VaxCell-Bio had been planning to extend its patent filings to Europe, China, and other countries as it aims to establish a global presence in the multiple myeloma treatment market.
The innovative CAR-MILs therapy, developed by VaxCell-Bio, involves the extraction of MILs from the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients.
These cells are genetically engineered to express a CAR, followed by a series of expansion, cultivation, and activation processes. This method represents an advanced approach to treating multiple myeloma, offering new hope for patients with this challenging condition.
Differing from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which are harvested from tumor tissues, MILs are sourced directly from the bone marrow.
The company stressed that this difference not only facilitates a simpler process for T-cell expansion and cultivation but also potentially increases the therapy's safety by utilizing the patient's own bone marrow cells.
The company also added that its CAR-MILs treatment includes central memory T cells, which possess the ability to recognize a broad range of cancer cell antigens, and that this feature enables the therapy to effectively target and destroy cancer cells, including those that may attempt to hide or evade immune detection.
"There are no CAR-MILs therapies on the market globally," VaxCell-Bio CEO Lee Je-jung said. "We hope that this international patent filing will not only secure global rights for the company, which is at the forefront of research and development of CAR-MILs therapies, but also open a new chapter in the development of treatments for refractory multiple myeloma worldwide."
Meanwhile, VaxCell-Bio will present data from its anti-PD-L1 CAR-T efficacy and toxicity study as a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, set to be held from April 5 to 10.
Data from the company's nonclinical comparative study demonstrated that its anti-PD-L1 CAR-T has superior efficacy, safety and stability to avelumab and atezolizumab-derived CAR-T.