Immuneering granted atebimetinib patent by USPTO

Immuneering (IMRX) announced that the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, granted the company a composition of matter patent for atebimetinib, an oral once-daily deep cyclic inhibitor of MEK. MEK is a key component of the signaling pathway that drives the majority of cancers, including pancreatic cancer. First-line pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib plus chemotherapy had a remarkable 94% probability of surviving 6 months, in data from Immuneering’s ongoing Phase 2a study announced in June, with few serious side effects observed. In prior studies of the most common global standard of care chemotherapy in first-line pancreatic cancer patients, the probability of surviving 6 months was only 67%. U.S. Patent No. 12,351,566, titled: “MEK Inhibitors and Therapeutic Uses Thereof”, includes claims to atebimetinib’s composition of matter. The patent’s term, which includes a patent term adjustment, is currently expected to expire in August 2042. The patent may also be eligible for patent term extension to recover a portion of the time required to fulfill regulatory approval requirements.