The team at Oxford Vacmedix contribute to the design and the delivery of a novel MSc course in Applied Cancer Science being run by the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford
Oxford, UK – 26th February 2024
Press Release – Oxford Vacmedix support new University of Oxford educational initiative
Oxford Vacmedix (OVM), the clinical stage company developing therapeutic cancer vaccines, announced today the involvement of the Management team in a brand new MSc course being run in the Department of Oncology at the University. This innovative MSc course has been designed to bridge the gap between basic research and treating patients in the clinic. As well as teaching a high-quality understanding of fundamental cancer science, the course also addresses the challenges of translational science to take a good research idea into the clinic in a start-up company setting.
William Finch, CEO of OVM, Professor Shisong Jiang, CSO, and Dr Anthony Coombs, Executive Chairman, have all been involved both in the original design of the course and in delivering lectures, tutorials and case studies specifically to teach the MSc course students the practical aspects of translational science. Lecture and tutorial content has included content on setting up and running a company, on the importance of intellectual property, on the design of clinical trials and on the challenges of building a team and in raising investment to fund manufacturing and clinical trials. Case study work has been based on real life experience in developing OVM’s cancer vaccines.
OVM’s technology is based on the novel Recombinant Overlapping Peptide (ROP) technology pioneered by Professor Shisong Jiang. The lead cancer vaccine, OVM-200, is an ROP based vaccine that targets survivin, over expressed in many solid tumours. It is being trialled in the UK in five leading hospitals, to treat ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Phase 1a, the first part of a Phase 1 trial demonstrated both safety and a very strong immune response as well as allowing the selection of the optimal dose regime of OVM-200 for use to treat late stage cancer. Phase 1b is ongoing.
Professor Shisong Jiang, Founder and CSO of OVM commented;
“The novel MSc course in Applied Cancer Science being offered by the Department of Oncology breaks new ground in not only providing students with an in-depth understanding of how science is used in research towards future therapies but also by addressing the practical aspects of setting up and running a company to bring that science to patients. The OVM team is pleased to be involved teaching the next generation of scientists how to use their science to benefit patients with cancer.”
Professor Eric O’Neill, Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology and Director of Education in the Department of Oncology added;
“We are delighted with the interest and enthusiasm in the new MSc in Applied Cancer Science, both from students and staff. This MSc course is one of the first to focus on translational science – to take the benefits of the ground-breaking research at the University into the clinic. We could not deliver the course without industry input and we are very pleased to have the expertise and support from the team at OVM.”
ENDS
More information on the MSc in Applied Cancer Science from the University of Oxford can be found at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/msc-applied-cancer-science
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
Dr Anthony Coombs, Executive Chairman, Oxford Vacmedix
T: +44 (0)1865 742087 | M: +44(0)7919 002161 | E: acoombs@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 DxVx (formerly Cancer ROP), a leading 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 is being developed in Professor Jiangs’s research unit.
For more information: https://www.oxfordvacmedix.com