Justin Wilson, partner and attorney at Withers & Rodgers, discusses his opinion on the promising innovations in the microbiome and the role of IP in supporting the discovery of new drugs and treatments.
Harnessing the therapeutic powers of the human microbiome is an exciting area of scientific research which is hoping to unlock the potential of the immune system and improve the efficacy of cancer treatments. But which novel therapeutics and combination therapies will deliver the best patient outcomes?
The successful use of viral vector technology in the development of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine has raised public awareness of the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of diseases. Building on this, research scientists from the University of Oxford and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research are developing a new cancer vaccine that makes use of similar technology. The vaccine flags cancer-specific antigens to the immune system which causes an increase in the response of tumour-infiltrating T-cells.