Therapeutic
Anixa plans Phase II study for breast cancer vaccine
Anixa Biosciences announced a strategic plan for a Phase II study of its breast cancer vaccine in September 2024. The proposed trial follows a Phase I
OSE Immunotherapeutics launches ‘Artemia’ cancer trial
In September 2024, OSE Immunotherapeutics announced the launch of an international Phase III clinical trial of its off-the-shelf neoepitope-based
Evaxion’s topline data show EVX-01 has promise
In September 2024, Evaxion Biotech announced positive topline data from a Phase II trial of EVX-01. This is part of a one-year interim analysis
Personalised therapy: XPO1 identified as “bona fide” antigen
A paper in Science Advances in August 2024 describes XPO1 (Exportin-1/CRM1) as a “bona fide tumour antigen” recognised by natural killer (NK) cells.
Study explores COVID-19 vaccine as hyperglycaemia treatment
Research in Nature communications in August 2024 reports a non-human primate model of metabolic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 to identify
Nykode announces therapeutic vaccine platform advances
In March 2024 Nykode Therapeutics announced “key updates” to the inverse vaccine platform with the potential to treat autoimmune diseases at a conference in the US. During the event, Nykode “demonstrated for the first time” a “significant effect” in a therapeutic...
DNA origami vaccines for precision immunotherapy
In March 2024 researchers at Wyss Institute announced the publication of research that indicates the possibility that DNA origami could serve as a platform for “controlling adjuvant spacing and co-delivering antigens in vaccines”. Their platform, DoriVac, enables the...
Parkinson’s: Vaxxinity shares “positive target engagement”
In March 2024 Vaxxinity announced “positive clinical data” from the UB-312 programme in Parkinson’s disease, presented by Dr Jean-Cosme Dodart, SVP of Research, at a conference. Vaxxinity identifies UB-312 as the “first active immunotherapy candidate” to show...
Despite “negative” results, Ultimovacs “committed” to UV1
In March 2024 Ultimovacs announced topline results from the Phase II clinical trial INITIUM, which evaluates the therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate UV1 as a first-line treatment in unresectable or metastatic malignant melanoma. While primary and secondary endpoints...
Expanded collaboration against cancer in trial of TG4050
In March 2024 Transgene, NEC Corporation, and BostonGene Corporation announced the expansion of their collaboration for the randomised Phase I/II trial of TG4050. TG4050 is an investigational cancer therapy vaccine, individualised for patients with head and neck...
TherVacB: therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine enters trial
In February 2024 Helmholtz Munich announced that a vaccine designed and developed under its leadership has entered a clinical trial. The vaccine, TherVacB, is a novel therapeutic candidate to tackle chronic hepatitis B. The Phase Ia trial investigates the safety and...
Study: could BCG vaccine treat liver cancer tumours?
In February 2024 UC Davis Health announced the results of a study, published in Advanced Science, which show that a single dose of the tuberculosis vaccine Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) reduced liver tumour burden and extended the survival of mice with liver cancer....
UK patients join mRNA-4359 trial for ‘solid tumour’ cancers
In February 2024 Imperial College London announced the beginning of a Phase I/II trial in patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to evaluate the safety and potential of an experimental mRNA therapy: mRNA-4359. The vaccine targets melanoma, lung cancer, and...
World Cancer Day: calls to “close the care gap”
On 4th February 2024 World Cancer Day took place with a global call to action that marked the end of the “Close the Care Gap” campaign, 2022-2024. This year the World Cancer Day 2024 Equity Report was released with “local perspectives and experiences on inequities in...
The global cancer burden continues to grow says WHO
The 4th of February is World Cancer Day, and in advance of this in 2024 the WHO’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), shared the latest estimates on the global burden of cancer. Alongside this WHO published survey results from 115...
Evaxion announces AI-identified target expansion
In January 2024 Evaxion announced an “expanded commitment” to developing tailored cancer vaccines using AI-identified tumour antigens, Endogenous Retroviruses (ERVs). This “new treatment opportunity” is expected to broaden the applicability of cancer vaccines to allow...
International collaboration on bowel cancer vaccine
In January 2024, the UK’s NHS announced that a “ground-breaking” vaccine for the treatment of early bowel cancer will be trialled in patients as part of a “worldwide” collaboration between Royal Surrey and teams in Australia. The trial will be run by the Cancer...
PDC*line Pharma to develop PDC*neo+ with funding
In January 2024 PDC*line Pharma announced that the Walloon region and BioWin have selected the PDC*neo+ project for funding after a call for proposals in the field of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products. Of the total €12.5 million budget, PDC*line Pharma is set to...
Potential from pancreatic and colorectal cancer vaccine
A statement from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in January 2024 reported on the “potential” of a vaccine candidate in a Phase I trial, the results of which were published in Nature Medicine. The vaccine showed promise in the prevention of relapse of...
Transgene and NEC to extend Phase I trial of cancer vaccine
In January 2024 Transgene and NEC announced that they are planning to start an extension of a Phase I trial into a Phase I/II study to “further demonstrate the potential” of TG4050 as an adjuvant treatment of head and neck cancers. TG4050 is being evaluated in a...
