Controlled release of pharmaceutically active substances for immunotherapy

US5861159A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine · US

Inventors

• Drew M. Pardoll · Silver Spring, US
• Rosa Azhari · Yuvalim, IL
• Kam W. Leong · Ellicott City, US
• Paul Golumbek · Baltimore, US
• Elizabeth Jaffee · Timonium, US
• Hyam I. Levitsky · Owings Mills, US
• Audrey Lazenby · Baltimore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 16, 1996
• Grant date: Jan 19, 1999
• Expiry date: Jan 16, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/92
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A method of stimulating a systemic immune response to a tumor cell or antigen associated with a pathogen by administering a mixture of a controlled release vehicle containing an immunopotentiating agent and antigen is described. The method of the invention provides sustained release of therapeutic compounds to allow a host immune system to ameliorate local as well as metastatic tumors in the host. The immunopotentiating agent is typically a cytokine such as tumor necrosis factor, GM-CSF, interleukin or interferon, for example.