(242) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
[Docket No.: PTO-P-2017-0026]
Extension of the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program
AGENCY: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: On June 29, 2016, the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) implemented the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program, which permits
patent applications pertaining to cancer immunotherapy to be advanced out
of turn for examination and reviewed earlier (accorded special status). To
date, over 80 petitions requesting participation in the pilot program have
been filed, and 9 patents have been granted under the pilot program.
Various stakeholders from around the world have filed petitions to
participate in the pilot program - they are independent inventors,
universities, research institutions, hospitals, medical centers, government
agencies, and large and small companies. The pilot program was originally
scheduled to end on June 28, 2017. In view of the continued interest in the
pilot program, the USPTO is extending the pilot program until December 31,
2018. All pilot parameters will remain the same as the original pilot.
DATES: Effective Date: June 23, 2017.
Duration: The Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program will continue to run
until December 31, 2018. Therefore, petitions to make special under the
Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program must be filed on or before December 31,
2018. The USPTO may further extend the pilot program (with or without
modifications) or terminate it depending on feedback received, continued
interest and the effectiveness of the pilot program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pinchus M. Laufer, Patent Attorney
(telephone (571) 272-7726; electronic mail at pinchus.laufer@uspto.gov)
or Susy Tsang-Foster, Senior Legal Advisor (telephone (571) 272-7711;
electronic mail at susy.tsang-foster@uspto.gov), of the Office of Patent
Legal Administration, Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent
Examination Policy.
For questions relating to a specific petition, please contact Gary B.
Nickol, Supervisory Patent Examiner (telephone (571) 272-0835; electronic
mail at gary.nickol@uspto.gov) or Brandon J. Fetterolf, Supervisory Patent
Examiner (telephone (571) 272-2919; electronic mail at
brandon.fetterolf@uspto.gov), of Technology Center 1600.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The USPTO published a notice for the
implementation of the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program on June 29, 2016.
See Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program, 81 FR 42328 (June 29, 2016),
1428 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 253 (July 26, 2016) (Cancer Immunotherapy
Notice). The pilot program was designed to support the global fight against
cancer. The Cancer Immunotherapy Notice indicated that an applicant may
have an application advanced out of turn (accorded special status) for
examination without meeting all of the current requirements of the
accelerated examination program set forth in item VIII of MPEP section
708.02(a), if the application contained at least one claim to a method of
treating cancer using immunotherapy and met other requirements specified in
the Cancer Immunotherapy Notice.
The Cancer Immunotherapy Notice established that the pilot program would
run for twelve months from June 29, 2016. The USPTO is hereby extending the
pilot program through December 31, 2018 in view of the continued interest
in the pilot program. The extension also will allow the USPTO to continue
its evaluation of the pilot program. The requirements of the pilot program
have not been modified.
Various stakeholders from around the world have filed petitions to
participate in the pilot program - they are independent inventors,
 Top of Notices (242) December 26, 2017 |
US PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE |
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universities, research institutions, hospitals, medical centers,
government agencies, and large and small companies. To date, over 80
petitions requesting participation in the pilot program have been filed,
and 9 patents have been granted under the pilot program. The USPTO may
again extend the pilot program (with or without modifications) depending on
the feedback from the participants, continued interest, and the
effectiveness of the pilot program.
June 19, 2017 JOSEPH MATAL
Performing the Functions and Duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce
for Intellectual Property and
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
[1440 OG 256]