Page 141 - REV T-I JOURNAL INTERIOR ISSUU 18 2-3

Technology and Innovation, Vol. 18, pp. 217-218, 2016 ISSN 1949-8241 • E-ISSN 1949-825X
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.21300/18.2-3.2016.217
Copyright © 2016 National Academy of Inventors. www.technologyandinnovation.org

TAKING AIM AT CANCER

James Higgins and Alex Camarota
Office of Innovation Development, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Alexandria, VA, USA

In his final State of the Union Address, President Obama announced the “Cancer Moonshot,”
an effort to greatly accelerate the rate of progress in cancer treatment development over the
next five years. To support this effort, the USPTO is launching several initiatives that leverage
the role patents play in catalyzing life-saving medical treatments.

Key words: Patents; Innovation; Immunotherapy; Cancer; Cancer moonshot; USPTO

Fostering American innovation has always been for this goal to be realized. The USPTO has a partic-
a central mission of the United States Patent and ular call to action in this “moonshot moment.” The
Trademark Office (USPTO), inseparable from our president’s plan leverages the USPTO’s mission as an
role in protecting it. Although the process for receiving important catalyst for research and development by
that protection in the form of a patent can be lengthy, freeing trapped data, resolving applications that are
the USPTO strives to ensure that it is thorough and without a final decision, and increasing patient access
fair. Patents must be issued while the technology is to treatment and clinical studies. The goal is to halve
still relevant in order to provide a benefit in the mar- the average examination time of patents pertaining to
ketplace. The patenting process has been especially certain medical technologies and thereby reduce the
critical in the medical field, as it protects and mone- time it takes for that technology to reach a patient. To
tizes the investment in research and development that meet the president’s expectations, we must also tap
is poured into life-saving technologies. Indeed, the into the resources of several different agencies. The
patent system has spurred life-changing technological USPTO will launch two new programs to accomplish
innovation around the world. these tasks.
In that same spirit of progress and improvement, First, the USPTO established a “Fast Track” review
President Obama used his final State of the Union pilot program for certain treatment-related patents
address to challenge the United States to make ten in order for medicines and technologies to reach
years’ worth of progress toward finding a cure for can- patients more quickly. This pilot program, “Patents 4
cer in just five. Federal and state agencies, nonprofits, Patients,” more formally known as the “Cancer Immu-
businesses, and citizens must collectively contribute notherapy Pilot Program,” will cut the time it takes to

_____________________
Accepted July 1, 2016.
Address correspondence to: Alex Camarota, Office of Innovation Development, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314,
USA. E-mail: alexander.camarota@uspto.gov

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