If they aren't full of it, then it's simply an issue of finding enough antigens, of generating a pool of specificities such that it's impossible for "antigen negative" to exist.
Research in two directions:
1)Anti-cancer vaccine that presents 3 cancer antigens, and has a modified HSV viral delivery vector that efficiently loads dendritic cells.
2)A 2nd generation? oncolytic cancer virus, a modified HSV with immune stimulating cytokine gene is used to target and lyse cancer cells.
It's all very exciting, and one day Richard, I think someone will combine enough of these things into a treatment to really kick cancer arse (gggggg)
BioVex signs exclusive licence to use key antigens in melanoma cancer vaccine, "ImmunoVEX tri-melan"
OXFORD, Sept. 24 /CNW/ - BioVex Limited announced today that it has
signed a worldwide patent licence agreement with the US Public Health Service.
The agreement allows exclusive use of the key human melanoma antigens, MART-1
and gp100, in therapeutic cancer vaccines based on herpesvirus vectors. The
melanoma antigens were characterised in the laboratory of Dr Steven A
Rosenberg at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda and BioVex will utilise
them in its novel therapeutic vaccine, ImmunoVEX tri-melan.
Melanoma has the fastest growing incidence of any human cancer in the
Western world, growing at 6% per annum. There are around 42,000 new cases
diagnosed each year in the US and 7,500 deaths from the disease. ImmunoVEX
tri-melan is currently undergoing pre-clinical development. In addition to the
MART 1 and gp100 antigens, the vaccine also contains the melanoma tyrosinase
antigen. It is believed to be the only melanoma vaccine in development to
contain all three antigens.
BioVex's ImmunoVEX platform is a unique vaccine technology that is
designed to prime the body's immune system to fight cancer and chronic
infectious disease. Other vaccines based on the platform will include products
to treat cervical cancer and genital herpes infection.
Dr Gareth Beynon, Chief Executive Officer of BioVex said:
"Our ImmunoVEX vaccines represent a significant breakthrough in the
search for effective ways to prime the immune system and we are pleased to
have secured an exclusive licence to these two important and clinically
relevant melanoma antigens. ImmunoVEX tri-melan will be BioVex's second
product into the clinic, following the recent entry of OncoVEX GM-CSF into a
Phase I study"
Notes to Editors
BioVex is a three year old private biotech company whose principle focus
is on the development of therapeutics for cancer and chronic infectious
disease. The Company has two unique proprietary product platforms (ImmunoVEX
and OncoVEX) and a functional genomics platform (NeuroVEX) all based on the
manipulation of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). The Company is headquartered
in Oxfordshire with additional laboratory facilities in London.
ImmunoVEX - a unique dendritic cell based vaccine platform
Considerable evidence from advanced clinical trials has shown that
antigen presentation by the immune systems key policing cells - dendritic
cells - can lead to a therapeutically effective immune response against
disease associated antigens to which the body has become tolerant. These
diseases include a broad range of cancers and infectious diseases such as
those caused by HPV, HBV, HCV, HIV and malaria.
HSV infects and delivers antigen-encoding genes to dendritic cells at
very high efficiency and has the potential to become one of the leading
methods for loading these cells with antigens. However, dendritic cells
infected with HSV are usually inactivated by the virus. BioVex has identified
the genes responsible for this inactivation. The deletion of these genes
provides a proprietary vaccine platform which combines very efficient antigen
delivery to, and optimal stimulation of, this key class of antigen presenting
cell. The Company's lead programme from the ImmunoVEX platform is in
pre-clinical development for the treatment of malignant melanoma.
OncoVEX - the first in a new class of oncolytic cancer vaccines
First generation products, developed by other groups, based on viruses
that selectively replicate in and destroy tumour cells without affecting
healthy tissue have demonstrated proof of principle in man and have been shown
to be well tolerated. BioVex has constructed a series of proprietary "second
generation" OncoVEX viruses which are not only more lytic than first
generation products but are also designed to stimulate the immune system to
destroy metastatic deposits. This has been engineered by the deletion of HSV
"immune suppressor genes" and, in the case of its lead product, the insertion
of an immune stimulating cytokine gene. OncoVEX GM-CSF is currently undergoing
a Phase 1 trial at the Hammersmith Hospital, London.
NeuroVEX
A third platform, NeuroVEX, is dedicated to gene determination in the
nervous system.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the
Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ
materially from those projected herein.
biovex.com
-30-
For further information: Enquiries: Dr. Gareth Beynon, Chief Executive
Officer, Tel: +44 (0)1235 441900; Dr. Tony Mills, Director of Business
Development, Tel: +44 (0)1235 441900 |
