Replication-Competent Recombinant HSV-1 With ICP6/IR Deletions for Cancer Treatment

USPTO issued Patent US12600955B1 granting Sungkwang Medical Foundation exclusive rights to a recombinant HSV-1 vector with dual deletions in the ICP6 and IR regions. The patent claims the virus composition, methods of preparation, and use as an oncolytic agent for cancer treatment. The dual deletion strategy enables insertion of larger or multiple therapeutic genes while preserving virus replication competency in cancer cells.

For biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies developing oncolytic virus therapies, this patent establishes intellectual property barriers around HSV-1 engineering approaches combining ICP6 and IR modifications. Companies with competing programs should assess freedom-to-operate and consider design alternatives. Research institutions and trial sponsors should evaluate whether this IP affects commercial development pathways for HSV-1-based cancer therapeutics.