Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Patent Office (EPO) revoked in its entirety a patent issued to StressGen Biotechnologies Corp. relating to the use of heat shock proteins (HSPs) for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Antigenics (Nasdaq: AGEN - news) filed an opposition to the StressGen patent in June 1996 on grounds that the patent was invalid. After Antigenics filed its opposition, StressGen amended the claims to exclude patient-specific treatment of cancer. The EPO issued a preliminary ruling in June 1998 that the patent should be revoked. In response, StressGen further amended the patent. The amended patent was finally revoked at today's hearing in Munich, Germany.
``After today's ruling, Antigenics remains the only company to hold patents in the promising field of therapies for cancer and infectious diseases based on the rapidly emerging HSP technology,'' said Garo H. Armen, Ph.D., chairman and CEO of Antigenics. ``We are pleased with the EPO's decision which allows us to maintain our worldwide leadership position in this field.''
Antigenics has been issued 15 U.S. patents and has corresponding European filings covering use of HSPs for the treatment of all types of cancers, infectious diseases and degenerative diseases. The company's technology is rapidly growing and is well recognized in the field of immunology (see antigenics.com or hspimmunity.com).
Antigenics' therapeutic vaccines for treatment of cancers and infectious and degenerative diseases are based on it pioneering technology using heat shock proteins. Antigenics has tested its lead product Oncophage® in five completed phase I and II clinical trials in colon cancer, melanoma, kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer, and is now evaluating Oncophage in a phase III trial in kidney cancer. Antigenics is conducting additional trials in sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and gastric cancer. For more information about the company visit antigenics.com. ... |
