Immunovaccine and UConn Health Extend Collaboration to Support Advancement of Patient-Specific Immunotherapies to the Clinic
07 December 2017 - 11:05PM
Immunovaccine Inc. (“Immunovaccine” or the “Company”) (TSX:IMV)
(OTCQX:IMMVF), a clinical stage immunotherapy and vaccine company,
today announced an expansion of its ongoing collaboration with
UConn Health. The collaboration is part of Immunovaccine’s DPX-NEO
program, which is evaluating the anti-cancer activity of
proprietary patient-specific epitopes developed at UConn Health and
formulated in the Company’s DepoVax™-based vaccine formulation.
Based on prior preclinical and manufacturing milestones achieved in
evaluating cancer neoepitopes formulated in Immunovaccine’s
proprietary delivery formulation, Immunovaccine and UConn Health
will begin working toward DPX-NEO’s first clinical trial.
Epitopes are the part of the biological molecule that is the
target of an immune response. Neoepitopes are the mutated proteins
produced by a patient's own tumors.1
“The potential of neoepitope-based therapies to trigger
anti-cancer immune responses tailored to the unique biology of each
patient’s disease could be an oncology treatment game-changer,”
said Frederic Ors, Immunovaccine’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our
successful preclinical work showed that the DPX-NEO delivery
formulation is poised to become a significant solution to the
barriers that have, thus far, hindered the deployment of these
truly personalized immunotherapies on a wide-scale basis. Namely,
DPX-NEO’s intrinsic mechanism of action has consistently
demonstrated the ability to generate long-lasting T cell responses,
and efficiently accommodate a large, diverse band of peptide
targets, both of which may be crucial to generating sustained,
impactful anti-tumor activity.”
In previously announced preclinical research, researchers from
UConn found that neoepitopes formulated in DepoVax-based vaccines
demonstrated superior immunogenic activity over other formulations
in mouse tumor models. Researchers are preparing a manuscript for
submission to a peer-reviewed journal and will release further data
upon publication. Immunovaccine and UConn Health agreed that these
results provided a strong rationale for extending the collaboration
towards a clinical trial. In the anticipated Phase 1 study, UConn
Health will use its proprietary technology to identify
patient-specific neoepitopes, which will be formulated in the
DPX-NEO delivery technology.
“The successful results from our work in mouse models, combining
our proprietary neoepitope selection process, along with the
DepoVax-based formulation technologies, strongly support
advancement into a clinical program. My colleagues and I look
forward to doing so,” said Principal Investigator Pramod K.
Srivastava, Ph.D., M.D., Professor of Immunology and Medicine, and
Director, Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center,
University of Connecticut School of Medicine at UConn Health.
Immunovaccine had also previously announced a breakthrough in
formulating multiple peptides in DepoVax formulations. The Company
has patented the technology, which allows for both a larger number,
and a broader potential range, of peptides into a single
formulation as compared to standard formulation technologies.
About DepoVaxThe technology underlying DepoVax
formulations suspends active components in an oil diluent that
prevents their release at the site of injection. This process
forces immune cells to take up these components in an active
process, delivering them directly to immune organs such as the
lymph nodes. DepoVax formulations have undergone extensive testing
in more than 60 preclinical and seven clinical studies. In clinical
trials, these formulations have consistently demonstrated the
ability to generate robust T and B cell responses, and durable
immune responses.
About ImmunovaccineImmunovaccine Inc. is a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to making
immunotherapy more effective, more broadly applicable, and more
widely available to people facing cancer and infectious diseases.
Immunovaccine develops T cell activating cancer immunotherapies and
infectious disease vaccines based on DepoVax, the Company’s
patented delivery platform that provides controlled and prolonged
exposure of antigens and adjuvant to the immune system.
Immunovaccine has advanced two T cell activation therapies for
cancer through Phase 1 human clinical trials and is currently
conducting a Phase 1b study with Incyte Corporation assessing lead
cancer therapy, DPX-Survivac, as a combination therapy in ovarian
cancer. The Company is also exploring additional applications of
DepoVax™, including DPX-RSV, an innovative vaccine candidate for
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which has completed a Phase 1
clinical trial. Immunovaccine also has ongoing clinical projects to
assess the potential of DepoVax to address malaria and the Zika
virus. Connect at www.imvaccine.com.
Immunovaccine Forward-Looking StatementsThis
press release contains forward-looking information under applicable
securities law. All information that addresses activities or
developments that we expect to occur in the future is
forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based
on the estimates and opinions of management on the date the
statements are made. However, they should not be regarded as a
representation that any of the plans will be achieved. Actual
results may differ materially from those set forth in this press
release due to risks affecting the Company, including access to
capital, the successful completion of clinical trials and receipt
of all regulatory approvals. Immunovaccine Inc. assumes no
responsibility to update forward-looking statements in this press
release except as required by law.
Contacts for Immunovaccine:
MEDIA Mike Beyer, Sam Brown
Inc.T: (312) 961-2502 E: mikebeyer@sambrown.com
INVESTOR RELATIONSPierre Labbé, Chief
Financial OfficerT: (902) 492-1819 E:
info@imvaccine.com
Patti Bank, Managing Director, Westwicke
PartnersO: (415) 513-1284T: (415) 515-4572 E:
patti.bank@westwicke.com
REFERENCES
1 Neoepitope Vaccines, Next Immunotherapy Frontier Cancer
Discovery Published Online First December 28, 2015;
doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-NB2015-179
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