By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Immunovaccine Raises Money, Has 3 Cancer Vaccine Trials in the Works
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Finance > Immunovaccine Raises Money, Has 3 Cancer Vaccine Trials in the Works
BusinessFinance

Immunovaccine Raises Money, Has 3 Cancer Vaccine Trials in the Works

Deanna Pogorelc
Deanna Pogorelc
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE
ovarian tumor cell

Granulosa cell tumor of the ovary

ovarian tumor cell

Granulosa cell tumor of the ovary

Analysts say there’s a multibillion-dollar market up for the taking for companies who figure out how to turn on the immune system to fight tumor cells and delay the progression of cancer. Canadian company Immunovaccine wants a piece of that market and recently said it’s reached an important milestone in getting there.

Immunovaccine just raised $4.2 million in private funding. Combined with a $5 million loan from its home province, Nova Scotia, and $32 million from government agencies and research institutions, Immunovaccine says it’s now funded into 2015, including the launch of three Phase 2 clinical trials next year.

At the core of its pipeline is DepoVax, an adjuvant platform with the potential to provide controlled and prolonged exposure of antigens and adjuvant to the immune system by creating a depot at the site of vaccination.

“Normal vaccines get cleared from site of injection within hours or days. You have to repeatedly vaccinate, and even then you might not generate a strong immune response,” Chief Operating Officer Marc Mansour explained during a recent interview with MedCity News. “We’re forcing the immune system to process it over days and weeks instead of hours. If you have the right immune activators, you end up with a stronger immune response.”

So far, Immunovaccine has advanced two vaccines through Phase I clinical studies. The first, DPX-Survivac, targets the protein survivin, which is broadly expressed across many tumor cell types. By combining the vaccine with at least one immune modulator, Immunovaccine is hoping to delay or prevent cancer recurrence in ovarian cancer and glioblastoma patients in two Phase 2 studies that will start next year. The strategy is to use the vaccine to mop up leftover circulating tumor cells in the blood after chemotherapy, Mansour said.

The second vaccine, DPX-0907, is also on track to enter a Phase 1/2 trial with breast and ovarian cancer patients in Italy. This vaccine is designed to train the body’s T-cells to recognize the multiple antigens incorporated in the vaccine, so that they recognize and attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

Mansour said the immunotherapy approach is generating a lot of excitement among Big Pharmas, citing Merck, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche as examples. Several promising proof-of-concept trials over the past few years seem to have restored hope in the ability of drug developers to be able to stimulate an immune response against cancer.

Meanwhile, the Halifax, Nova Scotia, company is also advancing a pipeline of vaccines against infectious diseases including malaria, respiratory syncytial virus and anthrax.

[Image credit: Flickr user Ed Uthman]

TAGGED:cancer vaccineImmunovaccine
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

EHR and meaningful use
Hospital Administration

How Safe Is Your Hospital?

April 20, 2011
emergency preparedness administrator
BusinessHospital Administration

How To Become An Emergency Preparedness Administrator

October 5, 2020
BusinessMarketingSocial Media

Blogging to Engage Your Patients and the Community

June 12, 2018
HIPAA, content marketing
BusinessHospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

Keeping Your Content Marketing HIPAA-Compliant

October 7, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?