On September 4, 2019 IMV Inc. (Nasdaq: IMV; TSX: IMV), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, reported a collaboration with The Wistar Institute and Meenhard Herlyn, D.V.M., D.Sc., professor in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program and director of Wistar’s Melanoma Research Center (Press release, IMV, SEP 4, 2019, View Source [SID1234539275]).
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Under this collaboration, IMV and The Wistar Institute will partner to develop a targeted T cell therapy against the common BRAF cancer mutation, based on peptides identified by the Herlyn lab. Mutations in this gene are the most frequently identified cancer-causing mutations in melanoma and have been identified in various other cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, and non-small cell lung and ovarian carcinomas1.
"We are pleased to initiate this collaboration with The Wistar Institute, a world leader in biomedical research and early-stage discovery science with highly relevant expertise to our shared goals in the development of novel treatments for cancer. In particular, Dr. Herlyn has transformed the scientific understanding of stem cells as they relate to cancer and his work in melanoma serves as the basis for numerous therapies now in clinical trials or recently approved," said Frederic Ors, IMV’s Chief Executive Officer. "We believe that cancer-driving mutations, like BRAF, which are directly involved in malignant processes and do not easily escape the immune system, represent an exciting new avenue for targeted T cell therapies. We look forward to working with Dr. Herlyn and his team, leveraging our DPX platform to explore the therapeutic potential of this target in melanoma and other cancers."
"Small-molecule inhibitors of BRAF have shown to be very effective targeted cancer therapies, but with limited long-term benefit due to the onset of therapy resistance. Alternative strategies with emerging therapeutic approaches are needed for the successful long-term treatment of cancers with the BRAF mutation," said Dr. Herlyn. "Immunotherapy could provide a more effective mechanism to target these mutations and we are excited to collaborate with IMV, as its DPX technology enables us to develop targeted T cell therapies aimed at BRAF to test and validate this important hypothesis."
The project scope includes optimizing the DPX formulation with the BRAF peptides and testing the investigational T cell therapy in the pioneering pre-clinical research models at Wistar. As part of the collaboration agreement, IMV holds an exclusive option to in-license intellectual property related to the program.