Extension of the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program and Request for Comments
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Abstract
On June 29, 2016, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program in support of the White House's National Cancer Moonshot initiative, which sought to accelerate cancer research. The program permits patent applications pertaining to cancer immunotherapy to be advanced out of turn for examination. To date, over 835 petitions requesting participation in the pilot program have been filed, and over 615 patents have been granted under the program. In view of the continued interest in the Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Program, as well as the White House's recent reignition of the National Cancer Moonshot initiative, the USPTO is extending the program, with all parameters remaining the same, until September 30, 2022. The USPTO is also in the process of deciding whether to expand the scope of the pilot program and may, additionally, further extend it (with or without modifications), depending on feedback from the participants and the public, additional continued interest, and the program's effectiveness.
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