The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued patent US12578339B2, which claims hexokinase 1 isoform B (HK1b) for its use as a prognostic marker in cancer and as a specific target for cancer treatment. The patent application was filed on July 19, 2020, and the grant was published on March 17, 2026.

This patent grant signifies a new intellectual property right related to a specific biomarker and therapeutic target in oncology. While not a regulatory mandate for compliance, it impacts the landscape for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies involved in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, potentially affecting research and development strategies and market exclusivity for related products.