title: Immune checkpoint inhibitors: a patent review (2010-2015).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immune checkpoint inhibitors, like anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, are revolutionizing therapeutic concepts in the treatment of cancer. Said class of drugs will represent a multi-billion dollar market over the coming decade. Many companies have therefore developed important patent activities in the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present review gives an overview of the patent literature during the period 2010-2015 in the field of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In particular, the review presents a selection of international patent applications related to inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4, IDO, TIM3, LAG3, TIGIT, BTLA, VISTA, ICOS, KIRs and CD39.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immune checkpoint inhibitors are now widely accepted as a key component of the therapeutic strategies in cancer. This fervent activity creates a maze of third-party patents that pose considerable risks for both newcomers and established companies. We can thus anticipate that the number of patent conflicts and disputes will increase in the near future. Treatments will involve combination therapy comprising at least one immune checkpoint inhibitor and companies will multiply patent filings in this field. Finally, we can expect that patents related to biomarkers that will render a patient eligible to a treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor will have tremendous commercial value.
authors.affiliation: a Intellectual Property Department , Inserm Transfert , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Collin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D010330:Patents as Topic; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
keywords: BTLA; CD39; CTLA-4; ICOS; IDO; Immune checkpoint; KIRs; LAG3; PD-1; PD-L1; TIGIT; TIM3; VISTA; antibodies; cancer; inhibitors