Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, TapImmune Partner On Cancer Vaccines

By Cyndi Root

The Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI), a non-profit research institute, and TapImmune have formed a partnership to develop TapImmunes cancer vaccines. The companies announced the collaboration in a press release stating that they will move experimental vaccines for breast and ovarian cancers into Phase 2 clinical trials.

Keith Knutson, PhD, VGTIs Director of Cancer Vaccines and Immune Therapies Program, explained the need for vaccines, All it takes is a few malignant cells to continue to circulate in the body until they eventually anchor and metastasize. Because these cancer cells already survived primary therapy, they are typically drug-resistant and much more difficult to treat.

VGTI and TapImmune Agreement

VGTI and TapImmune have agreed to coordinate efforts on cancer vaccines, including study design and trial site selection. VGTI will work with TapImmune to recruit clinical advisors, select manufacturers, and procure outsourced resources as necessary. The two will also work together in executing the clinical trials. Upon successful regulatory approvals, TapImmune holds the exclusive commercialization rights for the vaccines.

Cancer Vaccine Candidates

Investigators from VGTI and TapImmune hope to vaccinate women who have achieved remission in their breast or ovarian cancer in order to prevent cancer recurrence. Dr. Knutson said that cancer survivors have a substantial rate of cancer returning due to malignant cells that escaped during primary treatment. Antigens, determined by genetic and molecular profiling, in the vaccine would work to target the proteins expressed on the patients tumor cells, triggering an immune response with few side effects. The immune system would eliminate rebel cancer cells and stop new ones from growing.

Cancer Vaccines

Cancer vaccines are being engineered to boost the immune system, kickstarting it so it will kill abnormal cells and prevent malignant cell growth. Cancer vaccines are distinguished according to prevention or treatment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved prevention vaccines for the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver cancer, and human papillomavirus (HPV). Clinical trials for treatment vaccines are much more numerous than those for preventative vaccines. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is currently listing 12 trials for vaccines to prevent cervical cancer and three to prevent solid tumors.

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Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, TapImmune Partner On Cancer Vaccines