ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd (IMUC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing immune based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers, announced the issuance of a Japanese patent relating to the company's monoclonal antibody therapeutics. Patent No. 4287147, entitled 'Monoclonal Antibodies and Cell Surface Antigens for the Detection and Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer', covers the use of IMUC's proprietary antibodies in diagnosing and treating patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) using the company's lead antibody product candidate, ICT-109. This latest issuance builds on IMUC's existing patent portfolio in US and international jurisdictions for both the detection and treatment of multiple types of cancer.

"This latest patent provides additional support to our existing network of intellectual property assets and should serve to position our portfolio of proprietary antibody therapies extremely well as we continue to actively seek partnership opportunities both domestically and abroad," commented Manish Singh, president and chief executive officer of IMUC. "The Japanese patent office's recognition of the unique nature of the potential therapeutic benefits of our antibody technology for early diagnosis and targeted treatment of SCLC should further enable us to attract partners to assist in bringing these promising technologies through clinical testing and on to commercialization."

IMUC's portfolio includes several monoclonal antibody-related technologies acquired from Molecular Discoveries, LLC, with ICT-109 being a promising candidate for clinical development thanks to its ability to recognize unique glycoproteins present on malignant small cell lung cancers. Encouraging preliminary pre-clinical data generated by IMUC demonstrates in-vivo targeting by ICT-109 to cells expressing target antigen and efficacy in xenograft models, making it a good candidate for targeting SCLC. IMUC is targeting having ICT-109 enter clinical trials in 2010 for SCLC and pancreatic cancer indications pending completion of pre-clinical development work and securing support from a corporate partner or licensee. It is currently in pre-clinical development, with plans to couple it with a diagnostic kit to prescreen patients for the specific antigens that bind to ICT-109, further increasing its potential as a therapeutic option for these terrible diseases.

IMUC is a Los Angeles-based clinical-stage company that is developing immune based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers.