TapImmune, VGTIF To Test Cancer Vaccines In Phase 2 Trials
Immunotherapy company TapImmune and the non-profit biomedical research institute the Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI Florida) announced that they have entered into collaboration to test TapImmune's proprietary cancer vaccines in Phase 2 clinical trials as treatment for breast and ovarian cancers.
The cancer vaccine candidates were developed by VGTI Florida’s Director of Cancer Vaccines and Immune Therapies Program, Dr. Keith Knutson. The vaccines are designed to prevent breast and ovarian cancer recurrence in patients whose disease is in remission following standard-of-care therapy. These help enable the immune system to seek and destroy any remaining or newly emerging cancer cells which express the antigens delivered by the vaccine. The vaccines contain antigens that are genetically matched to those expressed on the surface of a patient’s tumor cells as determined by genetic and molecular profiling.
Dr. Knutson explains, “While modern cancer treatment regimens have significantly improved remission rates in patients diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancers, the stark reality is that cancer survivors continue to have a substantial risk of disease recurrence… All it takes is a few malignant cells to continue to circulate in the body until they eventually anchor and metastasize. Because these cancer cells already survived primary therapy, they are typically drug-resistant and much more difficult to treat.” Thus using a targeted vaccine approach is critical to stop disease from recurring. The companies said the vaccine delivers a targeted and powerful immune response with few side effects. TapImmune shared excellent interim data on both clinical programs for breast and ovarian cancer earlier this year.
As part of the agreement, VGTI Florida will coordinate the design of the Phase 2 cancer studies with TapImmune. The Institute will also work with the company on designing clinical protocols, selection of trial sites, recruitment of clinical advisors, and selection of external manufacturing, as well as clinical resources. TapImmune retains the exclusive commercialization rights for the vaccines.
“We are delighted to establish this collaboration with the Center for the Diseases of Aging at VGTI Florida to expand our relationship with Dr. Keith Knutson and leverage their unique experience in breast and ovarian cancer vaccine development and clinical trial design as we move our clinical programs into Phase 2 trials,” said TapImmune's CEO Glynn Wilson.