By Godson Umejiego, Bureau Chief, The Americas
To further accelerate innovation in the health and medical fields, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published a Federal Register Notice announcing a new programme: the Cancer Moonshot Expedited Examination Pilot Programme.
Beginning on February 1, 2023, the new programme expedites examination for a broad scope of technologies to prevent cancer and cancer mortality, in support of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot. Patent applications pertaining to the qualifying technologies will be advanced out of turn for examination and will be reviewed earlier (accorded special status). The programme is scheduled to run until either January 31, 2025, or the date by which the USPTO accepts a total of 1,000 grantable petitions (whichever is earlier).
“Innovation in the field of cancer prevention and treatment is how we will accomplish President Biden’s goal of reducing the cancer mortality rate by at least 50 per cent within 25 years through the renewed Cancer Moonshot initiative,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO, Kathi Vidal. “The USPTO is excited to offer this new, expansive pilot program to help accelerate the patenting of key technology to bring those solutions to market and end cancer once and for all.”
The new programme replaces the USPTO’s Cancer Immunotherapy Pilot Programme, which was first implemented in 2016 and expedited examination for eligible patent applications pertaining to methods of treating a cancer using immunotherapy. That programme terminates on January 31, 2023.
