IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,629,413
Granted Patent B2
US 12,629,413 · App. 17/134,663 · Granted May 19, 2026

Utilizing vaccines to treat cancer and enhance the success rate of cancer immunotherapy

Inventors: Andrew Zloza (Hinsdale, IL); Jenna H. Newman (Boston, MA)
Assignee: RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
A61K39/145A61K45/06A61P35/00A61K2039/5252A61K2039/54A61K2039/545A61K2039/585
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,629,413
App. No.
17/134,663
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods treating cancer are provided. The methods include intratumorally administering a therapeutically effective dose of a vaccine to a subject in need thereof.

Claims (28)

1 . A method of treating cancer in a subject in need thereof comprising:

intratumorally administering a therapeutically effective dose of an inactivated influenza vaccine to the subject,

wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of melanoma, lung, triple-negative breast, or renal; and

wherein the vaccine is unadjuvanted.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vaccine is a monovalent or a multivalent vaccine.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inactivated influenza vaccine is administered in combination with an inactive vaccine selected from the group consisting of DTaP (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus), pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumococcal Pneumonia), HepB (hepatitis B), and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella).

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein multiple doses of the inactivated influenza vaccine are administered.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the intratumoral administration is by injection or during a biopsy procedure.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising administering at least one additional anticancer treatment.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one additional anticancer treatment is surgical therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, small molecule therapy, receptor kinase inhibitor therapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, cytokine therapy, cryotherapy, radioablation or a biological therapy.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one additional anticancer treatment is an immune checkpoint inhibitor.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one checkpoint inhibitor is selected from an inhibitor of Programmed T cell death 1 (PD-1), programmed T cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), PDL-2, Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG-3), Tim-3, CD28, CD122, or CD137.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one checkpoint inhibitor is an anti-PD-1 antibody, anti-PD-L1 antibody, anti-PD-L2 antibody, anti-CTLA4 antibody, or anti-LAG3 antibody.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the anti-PD-1 antibody is selected from the group consisting of nivolumab, pembrolizumab, pidilizumab, AMP-514, REGN2810, CT-011, BMS 936559, MPDL3280A and AMP-224, wherein the anti-PD-L1 antibody is selected from the group consisting of durvalumab, atezolizumab, and avelumab and wherein the anti-CTLA-4 antibody is tremelimumab or ipilimumab.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein more than one checkpoint inhibitor is administered.

13 . A method of increasing an immune response in a tumor in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising:

intratumorally administering a therapeutically effective dose of an inactive influenza vaccine to the subject,

wherein the tumor is a melanoma tumor, a lung tumor, a triple-negative breast cancer tumor, or a kidney tumor.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the inactive influenza vaccine is a non-intratumoral B-cell promoting vaccine.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is melanoma.

16 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the cancer is melanoma.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein vaccine lacks a squalene-based adjuvant.

18 . A method of treating cancer in a subject in need thereof comprising:

intratumorally administering a therapeutically effective dose of an inactivated vaccine to the subject,

wherein the inactivated vaccine is selected from the group consisting of DTaP (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus), pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumococcal Pneumonia), HepB (hepatitis B), and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella);

wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of melanoma or colon cancer; and

wherein the vaccine is unadjuvanted.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein vaccine lacks a squalene-based adjuvant.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2023
From: ZLOZA, ANDREW; NEWMAN, JENNA H.
To: RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Reel/Frame 065000/0535 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2023
From: ZLOZA, ANDREW; NEWMAN, JENNA H.
To: RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Reel/Frame 064938/0204 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62954154 · Dec 27, 2019
Related Publication 20210196813A1 · Jul 1, 2021
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