Immunocore’s extensive patent coverage of soluble T-Cell Receptors, their engineering into high-affinity forms, fusion to a wide range of effector or detection functions and their subsequent use ensures that all mTCRs resulting from the company’s programmes enjoy strong patent protection.

Copies of all Immunocore’s patents and patent applications are available upon request, under CDA where appropriate. Immunocore maintains a focused portfolio of patents protecting both the TCR technology as a platform and specific drugs that have emerged from the platform.

In order to generate a commercially-viable TCR-based therapeutic, three key challenges have to be met: solubility, generation of high affinity and fusion to an exceptionally potent cell killing effector function. Immunocore is unique in that it has solved and patented solutions to each of these 3 key requirements:

Production of soluble TCRs

Immunocore’s first core patent family derived from WO 03/020763 covers the generation of stable, soluble TCRs. Importantly, the solubilisation system invented by Immunocore is the only technique known that does not perturb the crystal structure of the TCR or introduce non-native protein structures that could potentially generate immunogenicity. This patent family includes granted patents EP1421115 and US7329731 amongst others.

Phage display of TCRs

Immunocore’s second core patent family derived from WO 04/044004 covers its proprietary phage display technology, which is required to generate high-affinity TCRs that can actively target in vitro and in vivo. It includes a granted patent EP1558643 and has a number of pending patent applications in the US and Japan amongst others.

Improved T-cell redirection system

Immunocore filed a patent application (GB0908613.3) in 2009 covering a novel method that dramatically improves the potency of any TCR-fused immune modulator such as the anti-CD3 scFv fragments employed in Immunocore’s cancer and viral-targeting drugs.