PrimeVax Immuno-Oncology Signs Exclusive Worldwide Dengue Virus License with US Army for Cancer Treatments
Novel Therapy Would Be First in Cancer Patients Using Dengue Virus
NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PrimeVax Immuno-Oncology, Inc. announced today that the company has just signed an exclusive, worldwide license with the US Army Medical Materials Development Activity, Ft. Detrick, MD, USAMMDA, authorizing PrimeVax to use dengue virus-1 #45AZ5 strain for treatment of cancer.
"This is an unprecedented move," says Dr. Kenneth Eckels, PhD, former head of the Pilot Bioproduction Facility at WRAIR. "For decades we've developed many dengue vaccine candidates for human testing, but this is the first time that anyone will be using them for cancer treatment."
PrimeVax's novel therapeutic approach combines the dengue fever virus with dendritic cell therapy. The FDA recently allowed PrimeVax to begin their clinical trial with their dendritic cells first.1
"We hope that history looks back on this as a turning point in the oncology industry," states Tony Chen, PrimeVax's CEO. "Because dengue affects the body so differently than other viruses, its immune-stimulating properties make it attractive as an anti-cancer agent. Additionally, the US Army has already produced human safety data using this virus strain. These two factors give us confidence as we approach the bedside. We are honored to have the opportunity to use the US Army's dengue virus to treat cancer patients."
For this clinical trial, PrimeVax will continue treating metastatic melanoma patients after standard of care therapies have failed.
With the US Army licensing agreement signed, PrimeVax is now working with FDA on specifics of how to administer the virus. They are also preparing the clinical trial site. Once both of these activities are completed, they will then recruit patients.
About Us
PrimeVax Immuno-Oncology, Inc. is focused on the development of personalized immunotherapy with its PV-001 platform. The platform's goal is to enable a 1-time 1-week cancer treatment schedule for many cancer types. PV-001 leverages the body's innate and adaptive immune responses simultaneously to trigger activation of T cells, NK cells, and other immunotherapeutic effects. The Company was founded in 2015 and will engage in human clinical trials in 2019. Initial indications to be targeted include metastatic melanoma, triple negative breast cancer, and glioblastoma.
PrimeVax's clinical trial listing on clinicaltrials.gov.
Contact:
PrimeVax Immuno-Oncology, Inc.
Tony Chen
CEO
[email protected]
SOURCE PrimeVax Immuno-Oncology, Inc.
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