CureVac to Receive Patent Claiming the Combination of mRNA Vaccines with Anti-PD-1 Antibodies

TUBINGEN, Germany, July 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CureVac AG, a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based drugs, today announced it has been granted a Notice of Allowance from the European Patent Office (EPO) for its patent application (EP 2958588) entitled, "Combination of Vaccination and Inhibition of the PD-1 Pathway."

The patent claims both composition of matter and methods of treatment for a vaccine/inhibitor combination comprising an mRNA vaccine and an anti-PD-1 antibody. Further, the patent covers a pharmaceutical composition and a kit of parts comprising such a vaccine/inhibitor combination, particularly for the prevention or treatment of tumor or cancer diseases and infectious diseases.

Dr. Franz-Werner Haas, Chief Corporate Officer of CureVac, stated, "We are convinced there is tremendous potential in combining mRNA-based vaccines with PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of a wide range of cancers and infectious diseases. Anti-PD-1 antibody therapy is becoming standard of care in several cancer indications, and combination approaches are now recognized as optimal for the development of mRNA cancer vaccines. Therefore, this patent adds considerable value to our company and our IP estate. Together with our extensive experience in the development of mRNA-based cancer vaccines this encourages us to advance and expand our RNActive^® Cancer Immunotherapy pipeline."

In total, CureVac holds a broad IP portfolio comprising more than 100 patent families covering different aspects of its mRNA platform enabling the use and production of mRNA across a wide range of treatment modalities and disease indications.

About CureVac AG
Founded in 2000 as a spin-off from the University of T?bingen in Germany, CureVac is a leading company in the field of mRNA technology and was the first company to start clinical trials on mRNA-based drugs. The biopharmaceutical company has more than 17 years of expertise in handling and optimizing this versatile molecule for medical purposes.

The basic principle of CureVac's proprietary technology is the use of mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of fighting a wide range of diseases. The company applies its technologies for the development of cancer therapies, prophylactic vaccines and molecular therapies.

Since its inception, strongly backed by SAP founder Dietmar Hopp's dievini, CureVac has received approximately $370 million (?355 million) in equity investments including an investment of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of $52 million in 2015. CureVac has entered into various collaborations with multinational corporations and organizations, including agreements with Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi Pasteur, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and IAVI.

In 2006, CureVac successfully established the first worldwide GMP facility for the manufacturing of mRNA. In 2017 CureVac started the establishment and construction of industrial scale production facilities.

For more information, please visit www.curevac.com 

Media Contacts
Verena Lauterbach, Senior Manager Communications
CureVac AG, Tübingen, Germany
+49 (0) 7071 9883 1756
[email protected] 

Jason Rando, EVP & COO
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, New York
+1 212 375 2665
[email protected]

SOURCE CureVac AG