Therapeutic
Vaccitech announces “promising” data for HPV vaccine
In March 2023, Vaccitech announced top-line interim data from a Phase Ib/II clinical trial of its VTP-200 vaccine in women with low-grade cervical HPV lesions
Exclusive interview with Dr Niranjan Sardesai
With just weeks to go until the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, we are delighted to share our series of exclusive interviews with some fantastic speakers
RVAC and Penn collaborate on possible mRNA therapies
In March 2023, RVAC Medicines and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) announced a collaboration to pursue the development of mRNA vaccines
Lassa vaccine in monkeys: protection not therapy
Researchers in France published a paper in Nature Communications in March detailing the results of an investigation into their Lassa fever vaccine candidate.
Moderna and Merck granted BTD for cancer therapy
Following positive results from a Phase IIb trial in December 2022, Moderna and Merck have announced that their personalised mRNA cancer vaccine, in combination
Scancell announces “encouraging” early Modi-1 data
In February 2023 Scancell announced completion of a monotherapy dose finding arm of the Phase I/II ModiFY clinical trial. Data demonstrated that the Modi-1 cancer vaccine was “safe and well tolerated” with “encouraging early efficacy” in a head and neck cancer...
Gritstone bio and NCI collaborate on clinical trial
In February 2023 Gritstone bio and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of NIH announced a collaboration to evaluate an “autologous T cell therapy expressing a T cell receptor targeting mutated KRAS in combination with Gritstone’s KRAS-directed vaccine candidate”. The...
VBI Vaccines announces Phase II data for HBV therapy
In February 2023 VBI Vaccines announced interim data from a Phase II study evaluating a combination treatment of VBI-2601 (BRII-179) and BRII-835 (VIR-2218) in chronically infected HBV patients. The data demonstrates that the therapy was “generally well-tolerated". It...
Cancer vaccines strengthened against aggressive tumours
In research published in Nature biomedical engineering a team of scientists at Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) explored the effects of structural changes to cancer vaccines. Using chemistry and nanotechnology they changed the...
AC Immune Alzheimer’s vaccine shows promise in early trials
Swiss based AC Immune reported in January 2023 that ACI-24.060, its anti-amyloid-beta (Abeta) vaccine, had “elicited an anti-Abeta antibody response” and was “well tolerated” in patients with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It will therefore move to a second...
LinKinVax and Gustave Roussy collaborate for human trial
In January 2023 LinKinVax and Gustave Roussy announced a collaboration towards a first-in-human Phase I/IIa clinical trial on a therapeutic vaccine candidate. This vaccine, CD40HVac, will target head and neck cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). The...
UK and BioNTech sign MoU for mRNA cancer therapies
In January 2023 BioNTech announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK government to “benefit patients”. The goal will be to accelerate clinical trials for personalised mRNA therapeutics with a target of providing personalised cancer...
Dual-action vaccine turns cancer on itself
In findings from Brigham and Women’s Hospital published in Science Translational Medicine in January 2023, researchers reveal newly discovered potential to exploit cancer cells in the fight against cancer. Using a “dual-action, cancer-killing vaccine” in an advanced...
Cancer vaccine potential in 2023: mRNA moves forward
Towards the end of 2022 we noted the positive results of a Moderna/Merck trial for a personalised cancer vaccine in combination with KEYTRUDA therapy. After the mRNA momentum of the pandemic, there appears to be a sense of optimism in the therapeutic community for the...
Moderna and Merck meet mRNA melanoma efficacy endpoints
In December 2022 Moderna and Merck announced positive results from a Phase IIb trial of mRNA-4157/v940, an investigational personalised cancer vaccine, in combination with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA. In this trial, the combination approach demonstrated a...
Exclusive interview with Dr Stephen Johnston
As we gear up towards the World Vaccine and Immunotherapy Congress in San Diego later this month we have been meeting a few of our speakers to get some exclusive insights before their sessions. Dr Stephen Johnston will be representing Calviri Inc. as founding CEO....
AELIX Therapeutics study in Nature meets endpoints
In November 2022 the results of the AELIX-002 trial were published in Nature by collaborators from Aelix Therapeutics and Gilead Sciences. This is the trial that Dr Christian Brander, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Aelix Therapeutics, hinted at in our...
Exclusive interview with Dr Andrew Vaillant
As we look back on the Congress in Europe and forward to future events, a conversation with Dr Andrew Vaillant of Replicor links our event in Barcelona to the World Vaccine and Immunotherapy Congress in San Diego. As Chief Scientific Officer with 20 years’ experience,...
Glioblastoma vaccine offers longer life to patients
In a study published in JAMA Oncology in November 2022, researchers from America and Europe collaborated to demonstrate “clinically meaningful and statistically significant extension of survival” for patients with glioblastoma. The results are described as...
Fentanyl vaccine shows therapeutic promise in rats
A study by researchers led by the University of Houston demonstrates potential to eliminate the high caused by the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The hope that it will block its ability to enter the brain has positive implications for tackling a widespread opioid...
