The Province of Nova Scotia is lending $5 million to clinical-stage biotech Immunovaccine, which is developing an adjuvant platform that could make cancer vaccines more effective more quickly.
The technology, aptly named DepoVax, creates a “depot” at the site of injection, attracting the immune system’s antigen-presenting cells to take up the vaccine. It’s used with vaccines to stimulate a controlled and prolonged immune response in patients with cancer, potentially with just one dose.
Having already demonstrated safety and immunogenicity potential in phase 1 clinical trials, the company’s lead therapeutic cancer vaccine, DPX-Survivac, will advance to phase 2 trials in ovarian cancer and glioblastoma (brain cancer) next year.
Funding from the province will come in four installments, which will help carry Immunovaccine through 2016, the company said in a statement.
Excitement around cancer vaccines culminated in 2010 with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Dendreon’s Provenge, but so far sales have not taken off, likely because of uncertainty around reimbursement. Research firm GBI Research speculates that although numerous vaccines will likely be approved over the next five years, their high price tags will be a barrier to market growth.
Halifax, Novia Scotia-based Immunovaccine is also leveraging its platform in the development of anthrax and animal vaccines.
