Immunomic Therapeutics and Annias Immunotherapeutics are combining nucleic and cytomegalovirus immunotherapy platforms.

Immunomic Therapeutics has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with immuno-oncology company Annias Immunotherapeutics for the use of the latter’s patented immunotherapy platform for cytomegalovirus (CMV). Immunomic will combine the technology, which was originally developed at Duke University and licensed to Annias, with its own nucleic-based, LAMP-Vax immunotherapy platform for the development of an improved treatment for the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma mutliforme (GBM), as well as the development of improved methods for cancer vaccination.

CMV is over-expressed by a number of human cancer cells, including GBM. Immunomic’s intent is to develop drugs that target CMV antigens and destroy these tumor cells by utilizing the patient’s immune system. GBM affects 10,000 Americans each year and the development of treatments for the disease has been limited.

The typical median survival time for patients with GBM is 15 months. In addition, 90% of patients experience reoccurrence. To date, promising survival rates of 35 and 37 months have been achieved in two Phase I studies (ATTAC and ATTAC-GM, respectively) using the combined LAMP and CMV platforms.

Currently the National Cancer Institute is enrolling patients with newly diagnosed GBM for a Phase II randomized clinical trial in Florida (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02465268). The trial is run by Principal Investigators Duane A. Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., director of Cancer Therapeutics and Immuno-Oncology at the University of Florida Health Cancer Center and Dr. John Sampson, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University. The study will investigate the ability of dendritic cell (DC) vaccines targeting the human CMV antigen pp65 expressed as fusion protein with LAMP to improve survival. 

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Drs. Mitchell and Sampson, two giants in the field, to work toward treatment options for glioblastoma patients. GBM is an aggressive brain cancer that has devastated so many lives and for which medical advances have been so incredibly slow,” said Dr. William Hearl, CEO of Immunomic Therapeutics. “This license enables us to support and accelerate development of a potential new generation of cancer immunotherapy based on our proprietary LAMP-Vax platform not only for GBM but also for other types of cancer.”

In addition to this study, the LAMP-Vax technology is being evaluated for the treatment of several other cancers, with Phase I data generated in prostate cancer and melanoma, as well as GBM, and Phase II data developed in AML.

Meanwhile, Annias is developing its own immunotherapeutic treatments for cancers that contain CMV and is conducting an ongoing randomized Phase I/II trial to determine the safety and efficacy of a novel multi-epitope peptide vaccine in combination with immunological pre-conditioning in patients suffering from GBM.

 “This agreement validates the dominant patent position Annias has in the field of cancer immunotherapies that target CMV”, said Reiner Laus, MD, CEO of Annias Immunotherapeutics. “We will continue to develop our own portfolio and will further evaluate opportunities for limited out-licensing to companies that develop CMV-directed cancer immunotherapies.” The license to Immunomic Therapeutics includes an upfront payment, milestones and royalties.