A Phase I trial of OVM-200, Oxford Vacmedix’s lead cancer vaccine, has started – the first clinical trial of a cancer vaccine using the novel technology.
Press Release – Oxford group announces first patient treated with novel cancer vaccine
Oxford, 4th November 2021:
Oxford Vacmedix (OVM), the UK-based biopharma company focused on the development of cancer vaccines, announced today the start of a Phase 1 trial of OVM-200 with the first patient being treated at the prestigious Sarah Cannon Research Institute in London. OVM-200 is a cancer vaccine developed using OVM’s novel recombinant overlapping peptide (ROP) platform. It targets survivin, a protein overexpressed by cancer cells, which prevents them being attacked by the body’s immune system.
The Phase I trial of OVM-200 is focused on safety and on establishing an immune response in patients with three tumour types – non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. It is being run at five sites in the UK including University College Hospital (UCH) London, the cancer hospital of the Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust (OUHFT) and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. The Chief Investigator for the trial is Professor Martin Forster, based at UCH. This trial is both the first time OVM-200 will have been used in people and also the first time any ROP based vaccine has been tested in the clinic.
Dr Shisong Jiang, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of Oxford Vacmedix, said:
“The ROP technology has been developed from an initial concept in the laboratory to now being tested as a treatment for critically ill patients. We see the potential benefits of a vaccination approach both in stimulating the body’s immune system to attack the cancer and also, in future trials, enhancing the efficacy of other immune oncology agents. This Phase I trial is a first step towards having effective cancer vaccines.”
Professor Tobias Arkenau, Principal Investigator at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK, added:
“It is a privilege to work with Oxford Vacmedix on this innovative vaccine programme for patients with lung, prostate and ovarian cancer. I strongly believe that vaccine treatments will play a major role in future cancer treatments.”
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
William Finch, CEO, Oxford Vacmedix
T: +44 (0)1865 742087 | M: +44(0)7769 903711 | E: wfinch@oxfordvacmedix.com
Dr Shisong Jiang, CSO, Oxford Vacmedix
T: +44 (0)1865 742087 | M: +44(0)7970 251597 | E: sjiang@oxfordvacmedix.com
Notes to the Editor
About Oxford Vacmedix
Oxford Vacmedix UK Ltd, based at the Oxford Science Park, UK, is a bio-pharma company that was spun out from the University of Oxford’s Department of Oncology and is utilising the novel proprietary platform technology of recombinant overlapping peptides (ROPs) invented by Dr Shisong Jiang. ROPs have been validated as a technology to stimulate broad and strong T cell immunity therefore forming a good platform for therapeutic vaccines and diagnostics in cancer and infectious diseases.
The technology uses the novel, proprietary platform of ROPs to design and develop therapeutic cancer vaccines and diagnostics with the potential for increased efficacy, lower costs, simpler regulatory pathways and synergy when used in combination with other immune oncology (IO) agents. The company has extensive contacts and collaborations in China through Changzhou Bioscience Group (CBIG) that is using the ROP platform for diagnostics in both cancer and in infectious diseases.
OVM is developing two lead vaccines, OVM-100 and OVM-200, focusing on unmet clinical need. OVM-100 is an HPV vaccine targeted at cervical cancer, and OVM-200 represents a new type of vaccine utilising survivin to target solid tumours. Both vaccines will be tested as single agents and in combination with IO agents.
OVM secured Series A investment from Cancer ROP, a leading South Korean healthcare institution, listed in KOSDAQ, and from existing shareholders in China in 2018. The company is currently seeking Series B funding to advance OVM-200 to Phase 2 and OVM-100 into Phase 1 trials, as monotherapy and also in combination.
For more information: https://www.oxfordvacmedix.com
About Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK
Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) is a world-leading clinical trials facility specialising in the development of new therapies and precision medicine for cancer patients. SCRI believes that participation in a clinical trial is the first step in fighting cancer, not the last. As the research arm of HCA’s global cancer institute, SCRI is the first UK trials unit outside of the NHS that has the ability to offer new anti-cancer drugs in clinical trials. Eligible patients choosing to take part in a study may receive innovative treatment and play an essential role in helping to improve future cancer care. By bringing together the best medical minds with the most passionate caregivers, SCRI is transforming care and personalising treatment. Through clinical excellence and world-leading research, Sarah Cannon is redefining cancer treatment around the world.
For more information: http://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/facilities/sarah-cannon-research-institute