NCI Seeks Licensees for Viral Peptide CE1 as Hepatocellular Carcinoma Immunotherapy

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that a government-owned invention — a conserved viral peptide designated CE1 — is available for licensing and co-development as an immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The agency is actively seeking research co-development partners and/or licensees for CE1-based therapeutics for HCC prevention and treatment. The notice was dated June 30, 2026, and filed July 1, 2026.

Background and Rationale

According to the notice, HCC is a common and aggressive primary liver cancer that develops mainly in individuals with underlying chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. The document states that HCC is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and that its global incidence and mortality rate continues to rise. The notice further explains that current methods for early detection, surveillance, and treatment are suboptimal due to complex etiologies and intricate tumor biology, and that limited therapeutic options exist for HCC patients — making novel treatments a potential source of commercial and public health benefit.

The Science Behind CE1

NCI researchers identified CE1 through serological profiling conducted across three independent cohorts. The notice explains that CE1 is a common epitope shared among protective viral antigens that are enriched in healthy individuals compared to HCC patients. A synthetic version of the CE1 peptide was demonstrated to elicit a T cell response to HCC cells, supporting its development as an immunotherapy — including, specifically, a CE1-based HCC vaccine. The notice describes CE1 as biologically active in inducing T cell cytolytic activity and as capable of killing HCC cells in an HLA-specific manner.

The document also identifies competitive advantages for the technology: VirScan data support a correlation between the peptide and better outcomes in HCC and breast cancer, and the CE1 peptide is described as showing an immunomodulatory effect, which the notice characterizes as a promising approach to cancer treatment.

Potential Applications and Patent Status

The notice enumerates several potential commercial applications for CE1-based technology: HCC prevention and treatment; use as a predictive biomarker for HCC risk, including a serological response test and patient stratification for CE1-based therapy; and monitoring the efficacy of a CE1-based vaccine. A patent application — PCT/US2025/059785 — was filed on December 16, 2025. The NCI has assigned the invention NIH Reference Number E-023-2024, with related technologies listed as E-171-2022 and E-174-2019. The product type is classified as Therapeutic, in the Oncology area, at the Discovery stage of development. The notice cites a supporting publication: Ma L, et al., "Beneficial infections of the enterovirus genus in patients with liver cancer" (PMID: 40345802).

What to Watch

The notice does not state a specific application deadline for licensing inquiries. The action is issued in accordance with 37 CFR 404.4, the authority to grant licenses on government-owned inventions. Interested parties should monitor NCI's Technology Transfer Center, whose Associate Director, Richard U. Rodriguez, signed the notice.

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