The USPTO has recently announced extension of Patents 4 Patients,
also called as the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program, until
June 30, 2020. This pilot program was started on June 29,
2016, to provide a fast-track examination for an application
related to cancer immunotherapy. The PTO’s goal is to
issue a final decision within a year of the entry of the
program.
Qualifying applications are those including a claim directed to
a method of treating cancer using immunotherapy. Applicant in
such an application may file the petition to participate with no additional
fees. The petition may be filed in applications at different
stages of examination – i) in a pending application before a
first Office Action, ii) at the time of filing a Request for
Continued Examination (RCE), or iii) in a pending application which
is not subject to final rejection and claims the treatment method
included in an active Investigational New Drug (IND) application
that has entered Phase II