Kite, Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer news

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) upheld the validity of U.S. Patent No. 7,446,190 from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center covering chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) and their method of use as cancer immunotherapy. Juno Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:JUNO, Seattle, Wash.) licensed the patent in November 2013. PTO evaluated an inter partes review (IPR) petition from Kite challenging the patent. Kite alleged that all 13 claims of the patent are unpatentable on the grounds of obviousness. Kite said it plans to appeal the decision. Juno said it will sue Kite because Kite's lead candidate, axicabtagene ciloleucel (KTE-C19), will infringe on the patent. The product consists of autologous T cells genetically modified to express a CAR targeting CD19...