On March 26, 2024 Defence Therapeutics Inc. ("Defence" or the "Company"), (CSE: DTC, OTCQB: DTCFF, FSE: DTC), a Canadian biotechnology company developing novel immune-oncology therapeutics and drug delivery technologies, reported the successful testing of a second-generation anti-cancer vaccine, called ARM-002TM, using its lead anti-cancer molecule AccuTOX (Press release, Defence Therapeutics, MAR 26, 2024, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=defences-successful-results-on-its-accutox-anti-cancer-armtm-vaccine-creates-a-potent-second-generation-anti-cancer-arm-002tm-vaccine [SID1234641442]). When tested as a therapeutic vaccine in a melanoma cancer model, ARM-002TM leads to an 80% complete response when combined with the anti-PD-1 immune-checkpoint inhibitor.

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Compared to current anti-cancer strategies, vaccination can stimulate specific immune responses capable of potentially curing established tumors. In addition, developed immune cells can lead to a long-lasting memory response capable of further protecting the patient from subsequent cancer relapses. Using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as a vaccination platform; Defence has previously shown that it is possible to pharmacologically reprogram these immune-suppressive cells into potent antigen presenting cells using its Accum derivative called A1 (ARMTM vaccine). Although the ARMTM vaccine can effectively present antigens to responding T cells, the large amount of antigen preparation required to generate the cellular vaccine might represent challenges in the clinic. Defence elected to test its lead AccuTOX molecule to engineer a second-generation anti-cancer vaccine as the latter was shown to directly enhance antigen presentation in cancer cells if delivered intratumorally at lower doses.

"AccuTOX is an amazing molecule! AccuTOX has the capacity to trigger cancer cell death when used as a direct cancer injectable, and AccuTOX, the same molecule, converts MSCs into potent antigen presenting cells capable of priming potent anti-tumoral responses using a 10-fold lower antigen preparation" says Mr. Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics.

The ARM-002TM vaccine was tested in vivo in the context of melanoma. The vaccine elicited an impressive anti-tumoral response, which prompt the team to widen its scope of application by further testing it on "hard to treat" ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The Defence team are conducting additional studies in parallel to decipher the exact mode of action of AccuTOX in reprograming MSCs while studying the mechanistic behind the ARM-002TM potency using different in vivo studies. Once these studies finalized and the "Dry Run" manufacturing of the ARM-002TM vaccine completed, a request to obtain clearance for a Phase I trial targeting a basket of solid tumors will be initiated.

Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the solid tumours market was valued at $209.61-billion (U.S.) in 2021 and is expected to reach $901.27-billion (U.S.) by 2029, registering a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 20 per cent during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029.

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