STCube, Inc. (“STCube”), a biotech focusing on developing innovative immunotherapies for cancer, released a public disclosure on December 30, 2020, reporting that the company obtained a U.S. patent covering its proprietary anti-PD-1 antibody.

STCube owns a proprietary platform technology directed to production of antibodies that preferentially bind to glycosylated proteins, thereby selectively masking glycosylation moieties on target proteins.  The U.S. patent, which names University of Texas (MD Anderson Cancer Center) as co-applicant, is reported to cover the company’s anti-PD-1 antibody ‘hSTM-418’.  According to the company, the antibody was developed based on the discovery that glycosylation on cell membrane proteins such as PD-1 plays critical role in the proteins’ functionality in cells.

PD-1, the target for STCube’s ‘hSTM-418’, is a well-known target for immunotherapies due to its proven functionality as an immune checkpoint.  The sales figures of Keytruda®, a blockbuster anti-PD-1 antibody from Merck, have reached $11.1 billion in 2019.

Preliminary research on ‘hSTM-418’ was previously published in the prestigious Cancer Research in March 2020.  In the publication, it was demonstrated that ‘hSTM-418’ has higher affinity to PD-1 than FDA-approved anti-PD-1 antibodies Keytruda® and Opdivo®.  It was also shown in the publication that ‘hSTM-418’ effectively neutralizes the binding between PD-1 and PD-L1, thereby stimulating anti-cancer immune reactions and providing significant prospect of increasing cancer patients’ survival period.

Spokesman for the company stated that “the grant of U.S. patent clearly shows that ‘hSTM-418’ is novel and inventive,” and the company “is in the process of manufacturing the antibody for planned clinical trials.”  “With the grant of U.S. patent,” the spokesman added, the company is “on track for market-approval and positioning ‘hSTM-418’ as a significant competition to other PD-1 products.”

The company also noted that a U.S. patent covering ‘hSTM-004’, one of its proprietary anti-PD-L1 antibodies, will issue shortly.  The spokesman indicated that the company “is very pleased with issuance of these patents, which would provide important foundation for competing with blockbuster cancer immunotherapies once the company’s products are introduced into the market.”