OCALA, Fla., August 31, 2026
AIM ImmunoTech Inc. announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a new U.S. patent covering the use of Ampligen® (rintatolimod) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) for cancer treatment, strengthening the company’s oncology intellectual property portfolio and extending patent protection for the Ampligen combination approach through December 20, 2039. The newly issued patent is focused on the potential use of Ampligen, a Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist, together with the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab. The patent represents an important IP milestone for AIM ImmunoTech, particularly as the company continues developing Ampligen as a potential immunotherapy approach for late-stage pancreatic cancer, an area characterized by significant unmet medical need. The company said the patent adds to its growing intellectual property estate covering Ampligen in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors..
Broad Patent Expands Ampligen Oncology Protection
The newly granted patent provides broad protection for combination treatment with Ampligen and pembrolizumab, covering methods in which the two therapies are administered together to produce an anti-cancer effect that exceeds the expected effect of either treatment alone or their simple additive effects. The patent is not restricted to a single cancer indication, giving AIM ImmunoTech potentially broad coverage across its oncology strategy. Specific claims include the use of the combination in pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, melanoma, skin cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, renal cell carcinoma and head and neck tumors. This breadth is particularly relevant to the company’s efforts to establish a durable patent position around Ampligen-based cancer immunotherapy. By securing protection for the combination with pembrolizumab, a leading PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, AIM is seeking to strengthen the commercial and strategic potential of its oncology platform.
Patent Estate Strengthens Ampligen Combination Strategy
The new U.S. patent adds to AIM ImmunoTech’s existing Ampligen oncology patents covering combinations with immune checkpoint blockade. The company previously secured U.S. protection for methods using Ampligen with an anti-PD-L1 antibody, with that patent extending to August 2039. AIM also holds international intellectual property covering Ampligen combination therapy, including a Netherlands patent broadly covering combinations with PD-1 and PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors and a Japanese patent covering Ampligen with either anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies. Together, these patents form a broader global IP strategy for Ampligen in cancer immunotherapy. The latest patent specifically strengthens protection around the Ampligen-pembrolizumab combination and gives the company additional intellectual property coverage as it evaluates the potential of Ampligen across multiple cancer settings.
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AIM Targets Pancreatic Cancer With Ampligen Platform
AIM ImmunoTech is advancing Ampligen® (rintatolimod) as its lead oncology asset, with late-stage pancreatic cancer representing the central focus of its current cancer development strategy. Ampligen is a double-stranded RNA-based immunomodulator and selective TLR3 agonist that has been investigated across cancer settings. The company believes its mechanism could support combination approaches with checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab. The newly granted patent does not itself establish clinical efficacy or regulatory approval for the combination, but it provides long-term intellectual property protection for the claimed therapeutic approach. For AIM, the milestone strengthens the legal protection surrounding Ampligen’s potential role in combination cancer immunotherapy while supporting the company’s broader strategy to build a durable oncology platform around the asset. The patent is set to remain in force through December 2039, extending the potential period of exclusivity for the covered combination approach.
Source:AIM ImmunoTech press relese
