ISA Pharmaceuticals BV, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focusing on rationally designed therapeutic vaccines against cancer and persistent viral infections, has received a European patent on its lead compound ISA101. The patent ensures market protection of ISA101’s active ingredient in Europe until 2028.

ISA101 is a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of high-risk, HPV16-induced diseases. The vaccine consists of synthetic long peptides derived from the E6 and E7 oncogenic proteins of the HPV16 virus. This HPV strain is responsible, among others, for over 50 per cent of human cervical cancers, more than 85 per cent of HPV-positive head and neck cancers, and a variety of premalignant disorders.

The patent covers long peptides of the HPV-E6 protein, including a novel CD4+ epitope and provides exclusivity for the treatment of HPV-related diseases.

“This new patent significantly strengthens our IP position,” said Ronald Loggers, ISA Pharmaceutical’s acting chief executive officer. “With market protection in Europe until 2028, we have further broadened the worldwide IP protection of our lead vaccine ISA101.”

ISA101 is currently studied in the CervISA trial, a company-sponsored phase I/II trial in cervical cancer and anal intra-epithelial neoplasia (AIN). Moreover, the vaccine has established clinical proof-of-concept by successfully completing a phase II trial in vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN).