US 11938201

Here is a concise summary of US Patent 11,938,201.

Summary of US Patent 11,938,201

Title: Imaging and radiotherapeutics agents targeting fibroblast-activation protein-alpha (FAP-alpha)

Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University

Inventors: Xing Yang, Sridhar Nimmagadda, Steven Rowe, Stephanie Slania, Martin G. Pomper

Filing Date: July 18, 2023

Issue Date: March 26, 2024

Abstract: Imaging and radiotherapeutics agents targeting fibroblast-activation protein-α (FAP-α) and their use in imaging and treating FAP-α related diseases and disorders are disclosed.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

This patent features three independent claims, which define the core inventions protected.

Independent Claim 1: This claim protects a specific type of chemical compound. The compound has three main parts:

1. A "targeting" part that specifically seeks out and binds to a protein called FAP-α, which is found in many types of cancer.
2. An "imaging or therapy" part, which can be either a fluorescent dye for optical imaging or a radioactive component for PET/SPECT imaging or for delivering radiotherapy to kill cancer cells.
3. A "linker" that chemically connects the targeting part to the imaging/therapy part.

In essence, this claim covers a modular "smart bomb" for cancer that can be used to either see the tumor or to treat it, by targeting the FAP-α protein.

Independent Claim 12: This claim is a method claim that protects the use of the compound described in Claim 1 for imaging diseases that are associated with the FAP-α protein. The method involves administering the compound to a patient and then using an appropriate imaging technique (like PET or SPECT) to obtain an image of where the compound has accumulated, which would indicate the location of the disease.

Independent Claim 15: This is another method claim, but this one is for treating a disease related to the FAP-α protein. The method involves administering an effective amount of the compound from Claim 1, where the "imaging or therapy" part is specifically a radiolabeled group suitable for radiotherapy. This allows the compound to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation directly to the disease site.

Litigation and Administrative Review

A search of the US Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) records reveals that US Patent 11,938,201 has been the subject of administrative challenges. These include:

• Post-Grant Review (PGR): A proceeding, PGR2025-00012, was filed by ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE. This case was terminated due to settlement.
• Inter Partes Review (IPR): A proceeding, IPR2025-00808, was filed by GE Healthcare Ltd. This case was also terminated due to a settlement.

A search of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026 did not yield any results for this patent number, though it is possible that appeals from the PTAB proceedings could be filed in the future. The existing PTAB cases indicate active interest and potential disputes in the industry regarding this patented technology.