To support the National Cancer Moonshot initiative, the USPTO
has launched the Patents 4 Patients program, also known as the
Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program. Under this program, applicants
can obtain expedited examination of patent applications directed to
methods of treating cancer using immunotherapy. It will be
interesting to see how many applicants take advantage of this
program, and whether the program is effective to expedite grant of
cancer immunotherapy patents.
The National Cancer Moonshot Initiative
The National Cancer Moonshot initiative is a $1 Billion
initiative lead by Vice President Biden to end cancer by doubling
the rate of progress toward a cure, aiming to compress ten
years' of cancer research into a five year period. The Vice
President has highlighted immunotherapy approaches, since
immunotherapy "has shown success with melanoma, leukemia, and
lymphoma, and is ripe for further exploration in a wider range of
cancers." According to the White
