Opexa Therapeutics Receives European Patent Notification for T-Cell Vaccine

Opexa Therapeutics announced that it has received notification under Rule 51(4) from the Examining Division of the European Patent Office (EPO) that the EPO intends to issue a patent for “Autologous T Cell Vaccine Materials and Method.”

The European patent application is related to a method-specific approach for generating a T-cell vaccine that attacks what is believed to be the underlying cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), Opexa said.

According to the company, Rule 51(4) EPC notification is equivalent to a Notice of Allowance by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The company said it expects that the patent will be granted within the next six months.

David McWilliams, president and CEO of Opexa, said the patent approval will help in the clinical development of Tovaxin for MS.