Immutep Secures Fifth US Patent for Efti-Based Combination Therapies, Expiring March 2038

Shwetambri Chauhan

11 November 2026 12:32 PM AEDT

Immutep Secures Fifth US Patent for Efti-Based Combination Therapies, Expiring March 2038

Image Source: Krish Capital Pty Ltd

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Immutep Limited (ASX:IMM) has been granted a new United States patent (number 12,788,796) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, entitled "Combined Preparations for the Treatment of Cancer or Infection," bringing the company's total to five US patents within this patent family, according to a company disclosure dated 11 November 2026.

Key Points

The USPTO granted Immutep patent number 12,788,796 for combined preparations and pharmaceutical compositions comprising eftilagimod alfa (efti) and a PD-1 pathway inhibitor.
The new patent specifically encompasses combinations with BMS-936559, durvalumab, atezolizumab and avelumab.
The patent expires on 23 March 2038, including 806 days of patent term adjustment.
Immutep now holds five US patents in this family, with grants recorded in December 2020, March 2021, June 2023, July 2026, and November 2026.
The company has filed a continuation application to pursue additional embodiments of the invention.

Details of Patent Number 12,788,796

The newly granted patent is directed to combined preparations and pharmaceutical compositions comprising eftilagimod alfa and a PD-1 pathway inhibitor. The claims specifically encompass combinations with BMS-936559, durvalumab, atezolizumab and avelumab. The claims build on protections provided by the four previously granted patents in the same family. The patent carries an expiry date of 23 March 2038, which includes 806 days of patent term adjustment granted by the USPTO. Immutep has also filed a continuation application seeking coverage of additional embodiments of the invention.

Expansion of Immutep's US Patent Portfolio

With the latest grant, Immutep's US patent estate in this family has grown to five patents. The portfolio expanded through a series of grants issued in December 2020, March 2021, June 2023, July 2026, and most recently this November 2026 grant. According to the filing, the patent provides additional protection for the use of efti in combination with PD-1 pathway inhibitors, described in the filing as a key class of immunotherapies used in modern cancer treatment. Immutep's CEO Marc Voigt said the company believes in the potential of the biomolecule and that a good patent portfolio remains an important strategic asset, supporting future development and partnering opportunities.

About Eftilagimod Alfa and Its Regulatory Designations

Eftilagimod alfa is Immutep's proprietary soluble LAG-3 protein and MHC Class II agonist. According to the filing, it activates antigen-presenting cells through the MHC Class II pathway, engaging both innate and adaptive immunity, including the priming of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. The filing states efti has received Fast Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration in first-line head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and first-line non-small cell lung cancer, and Orphan Drug Designation in soft tissue sarcoma. The filing also notes efti's safety profile enables combination with anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

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