Ongoing discussions at an advanced stage with leading shareholder DxVx, to license OVM-200 for South Korea and for China.
Oxford, UK – 28th November 2023
Press Release – Licensing deal with Dx&Vx for OVM-200 in South Korea and China
Oxford Vacmedix (OVM), the UK-based biopharma company developing vaccines to treat cancer announced today ongoing licensing discussions with its largest shareholder DxVx for lead cancer vaccine OVM-200. If concluded the licensing deal will grant DxVx rights to develop and to commercialise OVM-200 in South Korea and China, in return for an upfront payment, development milestone payments and royalties on sales. Under the proposed agreement DxVx would run trials in South Korea and China and manage regulatory and commercial aspects of development. All clinical trial data will be shared with OVM.
OVM-200 targets survivin, a protein overexpressed by cancer cells that allow unregulated growth and stimulates an immune response. The vaccine is in a Phase 1 trial in the UK which is both the first time OVM-200 has been used in people and also the first time any ROP based vaccine has been tested in the clinic. The Phase I trial of OVM-200 is focused on safety and on establishing an immune response in advanced cancer patients in three cancer indications – non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. Patients are being treated at five leading hospitals in the UK. Twelve patients were treated in Phase 1a, the dose escalation part of the trial, with initial results showing very good safety and a strong immune response. A further 24 patients are now being treated in Phase 1b.
The announcement by DxVx stresses the benefits of the ROP technology and in particular the wide applicability of ROPs to treat cancer by being suitable for all HLAs (human leucocyte antigen).
William Finch, CEO of OVM said:
“We are very pleased that are largest shareholder will be licensing OVM-200 for South Korea and China. DxVx undoubtedly have the expertise and capabilities to run clinical trials and to commercialise in these countries and we look forward to working closely together on his programme. The OVM-200 vaccine will be used both alone and in combination to help patients with advanced cancer.”
A DxVx official added:
“We plan to complete the license-in process soon and proceed with Phase 1b and Phase 2 clinical trials in major Asian countries (Korea, China and considering India in the future). We will try to launch it through an accelerated approval that will allow patients to benefit early from effective drugs before all clinical trials are completed around 2027.”
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For more information or to express an interest in investing in Series B please contact:
William Finch, CEO, Oxford Vacmedix
T: +44 (0)1865 742087 | M: +44(0)7769 903711 | E: wfinch@oxfordvacmedix.com
Notes to 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 Professor 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 including prostate, ovarian and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Both vaccines will be tested as single agents and in combination with IO agents. OVM has a strong pipeline, with a diagnostic for anti-microbial resistance being tested and two other cancer vaccines is preclinical development.
OVM secured Series A investment from Dx&Vx (formerly Cancer ROP), a listed South Korean biotech company, 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. In addition the option of using MRNA delivery with the ROP technology will be explored.
For more information: https://www.oxfordvacmedix.comsuriv