On October 14, 2025 Pilatus Biosciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel metabolic checkpoint immunotherapies for liver and gastrointestinal cancers, reported the granting of its foundational patent in Europe and Australia, entitled "Methods for Modulating Regulatory T Cells and Inhibiting Tumor Growth."
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Pilatus has an exclusive license on the patent from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Ltd and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, based on work by Dr. Ping-Chih Ho’s laboratory at the Ludwig Lausanne Branch. The patent covers Pilatus’ first-in-class antibody program targeting CD36, a key metabolic checkpoint expressed on regulatory T cells (Tregs) that play a critical role in suppressing anti-tumor immune responses.
This intellectual property milestone provides broad protection for the company’s pioneering work in Treg modulation through metabolic reprogramming, representing a new therapeutic strategy in immuno-oncology.
Tregs are essential for maintaining immune balance but can also enable tumor immune evasion by suppressing effector T cell activity within the tumor microenvironment. CD36, a fatty acid transporter highly expressed on Tregs acts as a metabolic gatekeeper that supports their survival and suppressive function under hypoxic and nutrient-deprived tumor conditions.
Pilatus’ antibody program is designed to disrupt CD36-mediated lipid uptake and signaling in Tregs, thereby reawakening the immune system’s ability to attack tumors without triggering systemic autoimmunity. This approach builds upon discoveries made in the laboratory of Dr. Ping-Chih Ho, Full Member at LICR Lausanne, and forms the scientific foundation for Pilatus’ proprietary pipeline of metabolic checkpoint inhibitors.
Nobel Prize Underscores the Field’s Importance
This announcement comes at a particularly timely moment: the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for groundbreaking discoveries in Regulatory T cell biology, underscoring the growing recognition of immune regulation as a cornerstone of modern medicine.
In fact, one of this year’s Nobel Laureates, Prof. Shimon Sakaguchi, the discoverer of Tregs, was a recent keynote speaker at the Ho Lab anniversary symposium in Lausanne, where he presented on "Targeting Tregs for Cancer Immunotherapy."
"The recognition of Treg biology by the Nobel Committee highlights the importance of immune regulation in health and disease," said Dr. Ping-Chih Ho, Co-Inventor and Full Professor and member at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at University of Lausanne. "Our CD36 discoveries bridge metabolic control and immune suppression, paving the way for transformative treatments in oncology and beyond."
"This patent issuance solidifies Pilatus’ leadership position in metabolic checkpoint immunotherapy," said Raven Lin, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Pilatus Biosciences. "By targeting the metabolic dependencies of regulatory T cells, we are developing a new class of therapies designed to unlock potent and durable anti-tumor immunity, while demonstrating synergistic potential with PD-1 blockade to benefit patients with difficult to treat cancers."
(Press release, Pilatus Biosciences, OCT 14, 2025, View Source [SID1234656660])