The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), along with Vice President Joe Biden, announced a new plan targeted at advancing President Obama’s call for a “Cancer Moonshot” to make “…America the country that cures cancer once and for all.”  Cancer Moonshot is the White House’s national, $1 billion initiative to achieve ten years’ worth of cancer research in the next five years.

On June 29, 2016, in support of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, the USPTO and the Vice President launched the “Patents 4 Patients” program. Patents 4 Patients is a special pilot program for cancer immunotherapy patent applications. This program is open to any applicant or entity that may already have products in FDA approved clinical trials.  Patents 4 Patients aims to cut cancer therapy patent application reviews in half, providing a response from the USPTO in 12 months or less. It will also move new, innovative treatments from conception through regulatory approval at a faster rate, thus allowing the medications to reach patients faster.  In addition, there will be no additional cost to an applicant for taking advantage of this accelerated program.

Patents 4 Patients will run for 12 months from its effective date of June 29, 2016. The USPTO will then determine whether or not to extend or terminate the program based on the workload and resources needed to administer the program.

“As ailments of all types afflict our families, our neighbors, and our loved ones, piloting this initiative marks an important first step in testing and assessing how faster patent protection, in concert with swifter reviews from other regulatory bodies, can mark a collective approach that works to break down barriers to progress impeding cancer research,” said Michelle Lee, Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

With the USPTO receiving over 900 cancer immunotherapy applications annually from around the world, this program will allow for an accelerated review of patent applications related to the treatment of cancer.  This will hopefully allow lifesaving treatments to get into the hands of patients faster.

To view the USPTO notice: http://www.uspto.gov/about-us/national-cancer-moonshot