On September 12, 2024 Epitopea, a transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company developing accessible off-the-shelf RNA-based immunotherapies, reported it has been awarded a grant of just over £500,000 (approximately $658,000 USD) from Innovate UK (Press release, Epitopea, SEP 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234646527]).
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Epitopea was selected to receive funding from Innovate UK’s £12 million Cancer Therapeutics programme (1), which will provide a non-dilutive grant in support of research that is aimed at developing both therapeutic vaccines and T cell receptor-based therapies targeting antigens that are differentially presented by stromal cells. This class of therapies has the potential to impact patient outcomes given the well-established role of stromal cells in thwarting a therapeutic response to many established therapies.
The antigens in question were discovered by Epitopea’s CryptoMapTM platform, which enables targeting of a new class of untapped tumor specific antigens, known as CryptigenTM TSAs, that are broadly shared across multiple patients with the same tumor type. Epitopea intends to leverage these aberrantly expressed CryptigenTM TSAs to expand its therapeutic pipeline of RNA immunotherapies aimed at extending the durability of patient responses.
Dr. Jon Moore, Epitopea’s CSO, said:
"We believe better cancer therapies are needed to transform the lives of patients, especially in hard-to-treat solid tumors where overall survival can still be poor. Targeting stromal cells with immunotherapeutics represents an attractive and highly differentiated approach that we believe may translate into a deeper, more durable therapeutic response. We are therefore delighted that we have secured this grant support from Innovate UK’s Cancer Therapeutics programme, in recognition of our work developing life-changing cancer therapeutics."
Dr Karen Spink, Head of Medicines at Innovate UK, said:
"We are excited to see the diversity of businesses that have been supported through our Cancer Therapeutics programme. The industry-led R&D projects will advance transformative treatments for a range of cancers. This portfolio of investments will diversify the pipeline of targeted, safe, and effective therapies for cancer patients."