OncoSec Medical Inc (ONCSQ)

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$ONCS PR (a "biggie," imo): OncoSec Granted Exclusive Worldwide Rights To A Patent Portfolio For The Combination Use Of IL-12 DNA With Checkpoint Inhibitors To Treat Cancer In Several Key Countries

SAN DIEGO and PENNINGTON, N.J., May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- OncoSec Medical Incorporated (OncoSec) (NASDAQ:ONCS), a late-stage biotechnology company developing intratumoral gene-delivery immunotherapies, today announced that the Company has been granted exclusive worldwide rights to Gaeta Therapeutics' broad portfolio of patents and applications covering the combination use of IL-12 DNA and various checkpoint inhibitor therapies, including anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 compounds, in key global markets.

IL-12 has emerged as an important pro-inflammatory signaling cytokine, which many other companies are now using to develop cancer immunotherapies with several different modalities. The exclusive rights OncoSec has secured in this patent portfolio cover the use of IL-12 DNA, in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, while pending applications are pursuing broader claims, across multiple jurisdictions.

Originally invented at the University of Zurich by Professor Burkhard Becher, a renowned IL-12 expert, under this license OncoSec has now gained exclusive global rights to this important suite of issued patents and pending patent applications which not only supplement its current patent holdings, but also cover other uses of IL-12 DNA in combination with various checkpoint inhibitors in several key territories.

"IL-12's ability to turn cold tumors hot has immense potential to transform the outcomes of the large number of patients whose disease does not respond to monotherapy with checkpoint blockade. We are delighted to partner with OncoSec, leaders in the DNA-based delivery of IL-12, and look forward to the results of ongoing trials, and to the anticipated approval of TAVO™ in combination with KEYTRUDA®," said Professor Burkhard Becher, Director of the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich.

OncoSec's tumor-agnostic, IL-12 gene delivery platform, TAVO™, has shown encouraging clinical results in several clinical trials and demonstrated the ability to reverse resistance to checkpoint inhibitor therapy in metastatic melanoma and triple negative breast cancer patients. This new portfolio further expands OncoSec's patent exclusivity to broadly cover the use of IL-12 in combination with various checkpoint inhibitors in several major markets.

"This is an exciting opportunity for OncoSec to gain exclusive access to this very important intellectual property portfolio and gives us the freedom to operate using IL-12 in combination with a checkpoint blockade for the treatment of a variety of cancer indications," said Daniel J. O'Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of OncoSec. "Given the growing body of clinical evidence that this approach has generated, and the revenue implications of protecting downstream checkpoint blockade, we are particularly pleased to license this broad-based IP."

"Moreover, the acquisition of this IP estate may provide a future stream of licensing revenue for OncoSec through sublicenses to other companies seeking to use the combination of IL-12 and checkpoint inhibitors via other modalities," continued Mr. O'Connor.