iOncologi Secures Foundational U.S. Patent as Landmark Studies Link COVID19 mRNA Vaccines to Improved Survival with Cancer Immunotherapy

Findings published in Nature Biomedical Engineering and presented at ESMO 2025 validate iOncologi's Universal Immune Fortifying RNAs (UNIFYRs™) as a new class of RNA therapeutics poised to transform cancer treatment.

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- iOncologi, Inc., a biotechnology company developing next-generation RNA-based cancer immunotherapies, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a U.S. patent for a novel method using RNA-based formulations to enhance tumor responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.

The patent, owned by the University of Florida Research Foundation (UFRF) and exclusively licensed to iOncologi, further consolidates the intellectual-property portfolio supporting the company's UNIFYRs™ (UNiversal Immune FortifYing RNAs) platform — an innovative approach that leverages RNA-driven immune reprogramming to restore and amplify checkpoint inhibitor efficacy across multiple solid-tumor types.

"This patent grant highlights the pioneering RNA therapeutics emerging from the University of Florida that have the potential to fundamentally reshape solid tumor treatment," said Dr. Duane Mitchell, co-inventor and co-founder of iOncologi. "By demonstrating that a single RNA backbone can restore responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors across multiple tumor types, we are charting a course toward a universal strategy to overcome immune resistance in cancer and unlock responses in patients who currently do not benefit from immunotherapy."

Scientific Validation in Nature Biomedical Engineering

The newly granted patent builds on discoveries published earlier this year in Nature Biomedical Engineering (Qdaisat, S., et al. Sensitization of tumours to immunotherapy by boosting early type-I interferon responses enables epitope spreading. Nat. Biomed. Eng 9, 1437–1452 [2025]).

The study, led by researchers at the University of Florida, revealed how non–tumor-antigen-specific mRNA formulations can amplify early type-I interferon responses and trigger epitope spreading — a mechanism that reprograms the tumor microenvironment and restores sensitivity to ICIs.

"The findings reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering offer detailed mechanistic insight that underpins the claims in this newly granted patent," said Dr. Elias Sayour, Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the University of Florida, co-inventor, and senior author of the study. "By demonstrating that non-antigen-encoding, systemically delivered mRNA-lipid formulations can re-educate both innate and adaptive immunity, we're establishing the biological basis that underlies iOncologi's UNIFYRs™ platform."

(Statements regarding University of Florida research are factual and provided for illustrative and contextual purposes only.)

Clinical Data Presented at ESMO 2025

Supporting this mechanistic foundation, new translational data were presented by Dr. Adam Grippin of MD Anderson Cancer Center on Sunday, October 19, 2025 (LBA54) during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Congress in Berlin.

The presentation, titled "SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint blockade," reported that mRNA-based immune activation, achieved through SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination, correlated with significantly improved overall survival among checkpoint-treated melanoma and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients — findings that closely reflect the mechanistic principles first described in Nature Biomedical Engineering and have been independently reported in mainstream media, including NBC News, for their potential to enhance immunotherapy response in cancer patients.

(Statements referencing presentations by MD Anderson Cancer Center investigators are factual and provided for illustrative and contextual purposes only.)

"These findings represent a turning point for patients facing immunotherapy resistance," said Edgardo Rodriguez-Lebron, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of iOncologi, Inc. "The implications extend well beyond patient outcomes — RNA-based immune activation could revitalize immune checkpoint inhibitor franchises that have struggled to show benefit in solid tumors. With this foundation in place, iOncologi aims to work with strategic partners to accelerate the path to patients."

Advancing the UNIFYRs™ Platform

With this newly granted patent, iOncologi further strengthens its leadership in RNA-based immune reprogramming. The UNIFYRs™ platform is designed to fortify and broaden ICI efficacy across multiple tumor types, representing a new therapeutic modality positioned at the intersection of oncology, RNA technology, and systems immunology.

About iOncologi, Inc.

iOncologi is a biotechnology company advancing next-generation RNA-based immunotherapies to reprogram the immune system and overcome resistance in solid tumors. The company's UNIFYRs™ platform leverages multilamellar RNA-lipid particles designed to fortify and broaden immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy. iOncologi is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, with a wholly owned subsidiary in Basel, Switzerland.
For more information, visit www.ioncologi.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding iOncologi's research, development, and business prospects. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. iOncologi undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE iOncologi, Inc.