Cartherics, the Melbourne-based biotechnology company developing off-the-shelf immune cell therapies for high-impact women’s diseases, has strengthened its intellectual property portfolio with the grant of a new Chinese patent.
The patent, titled 'Method for Providing Immune Cells with Enhanced Function', covers induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) engineered with a knockout of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR).
The receptor plays a critical role in dampening immune cell activity within the hostile environment of solid tumours. By removing A2AR, Cartherics’ natural killer (NK) cells are expected to retain their cancer-fighting capabilities, even in tumours where adenosine concentrations are high.
The patent provides Cartherics with a proprietary position across multiple candidates in its pipeline, reinforcing its strategy of deploying advanced gene-editing technologies to overcome the barriers that have long limited the effectiveness of cell therapies in solid tumours. It also adds valuable commercial weight given China’s large and growing biopharmaceutical market and its strong system of patent protection.
Professor Alan Trounson AO, CEO of Cartherics, said the development was an important step in the company’s strategy. “Cartherics’ approach to destroying solid tumours involves editing critical genes in our cell products to enable the immune system to function as it was designed — to control cancer growth. Blocking the A2AR gene is likely to be a significant addition to our strategic arsenal against cancer,” he said.
Cartherics’ pipeline is centred on women’s health, targeting diseases of high unmet need such as ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and endometriosis. The company’s off-the-shelf immunotherapy approach, based on stem-cell-derived NK and T cells, aims to deliver scalable and accessible treatments without the logistical challenges associated with patient-specific cell therapies.
The company said the combination of strong intellectual property, a robust clinical development pathway, and the scale of its target markets positions it to play a leading role in the next generation of immunotherapies.