Immatics vaccine trials to be conducted with Cancer Research UK
pharmafile | February 16, 2010 | News story | Research and Development | immatics, vaccines
Cancer Research Technology, the development and commercial arm of Cancer Research UK, has reached an agreement to collaborate with German-based immatics Biotechnologies to trial their new vaccine IMA950 for gliobastoma multiforme (GMB).
immatics Biotechnologies is a clinical-stage oncology specialist based in Germany.
GMB is an aggressive type of brain tumour with low survival rates. More than 2,000 GMB tumours are diagnosed in the UK each year.
The vaccine IMA950 contains 11 peptides that encourage T cells in the immune system to target and destroy cancerous cells.
The vaccine will be the fifth treatment to enter Cancer Research UK’s Clinical Development Partnerships scheme and the second one to be completed this year.
The CDP programme allows companies to retain the rights to their treatment while enabling the Charity to take on its early development work to assess if there is a potential benefit to cancer patients.
Cancer Research UK will sponsor and conduct a Phase I trial of IMA950 to be carried out at leading glioma research centres in the UK via its Drug Development Office. immatics will supply the drug IMA950 for the trial and also undertake immunomonitoring in the treated patients.
Dr Ian Walker, licensing manager at CRT, said: “We’re delighted to have formed this agreement with immatics Biotechnologies. Following rigorous peer-review of the scientific data, Cancer Research UK’s scientific committee decided that the potential of the vaccine should be investigated further and we are very pleased that the company sought the expertise of the charity to develop a potential new treatment.”
Paul Higham, chief executive of immatics said: “Cancer research UK is a world-renowned cancer research organisation and we are delighted that through this collaboration we will be able to efficiently move our third therapeutic cancer vaccine into the clinic, highlighting the wide applicability and productivity of
our technology platform.”
This is the first treatment vaccine to enter the CDP programme.
In a phase I trial to be conducted in 2011, up to 45 patients who have been newly diagnosed with GMB will receive a number of doses of the vaccine, alongside routine surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.
immatics are currently developing a peptide-based renal cell cancer vaccine IMA901 in phase II for the prevention of cancer progression in patients with advanced renal cell cancer.
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