The allowed claims cover the use of antibodies reactive with CD74, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-II invariant chain, Ii, of immune cells to deliver cancer and infectious disease vaccines into immune cells. The patent also covers the use of cytokines to enhance the response to the vaccine-antibody complex.
Cynthia Sullivan, president and CEO of Immunomedics, said: “This is another important patent protection around milatuzumab, specifically for its use in vaccine delivery. Depending on the form in which milatuzumab is used, the route of administration, and the antigenic peptide attached, the antibody has the potential for use as a vaccine therapy for cancers and infectious diseases.”