A University of Wisconsin professor’s cancer vaccine spin-off has locked in its first venture round to carry two potential prostate cancer treatments through early-stage clinical trials.
Madison Vaccines Inc. began raising its $8 million round at the end of 2013, according to a SEC filing, and closed it in January with participation from Wisconsin-based investors Venture Management LLC, Venture Investors LLC, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, the company said in a statement.
Founded in 2012 based on the research of UW-Madison medical school professor Douglas McNeel, MVI is focused on developing plasmid DNA vaccines that aim to improve metastases-free survival and quality of life in men with prostate cancer.
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Its lead candidate targets prostatic acid phosphatase, a protein expressed by prostate cancer cells. It’s currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients whose cancer hasn’t metastasized but is at high risk of doing so after initial cancer therapy.
“Our goal in developing MVI-816 is to significantly delay both the onset of metastases and the initiation of (androgen deprivation therapy) for these patients,” said MVI President Richard Lesniewski in a statement. ADT lowers hormone levels in men and is often accompanied by a host of side effects.
A second vaccine would potentially help men with both early and later-stage prostate cancers by targeting the androgen receptor, which is thought to stimulate prostate cancer growth. It’s poised to start Phase 1 safety trials this year, MVI says. It’s also in the early stages of working on a companion diagnostic.
The startup is using a plasmid DNA-based platform for its vaccines. Compared to antigen vaccines that use proteins or peptides, DNA is quick and inexpensive to purify and more stable in storage, the company says.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals inked a licensing deal with Roche last fall for a DNA vaccine for prostate cancer, but it’s slightly behind MVI and is poised to begin a Phase 1/2a clinical study this year. Various other types of immunotherapies for prostate cancer are also under development.
