On November 30, 2021 PCI Biotech Holding ASA (OSE: PCIB), a cancer focused biopharmaceutical company with a unique intracellular delivery technology via Photochemical Internalisation and Immunicum AB (publ; IMMU.ST), a biopharmaceutical company focused on hard-to-treat established tumors and the prevention of cancer recurrence, reported an extension of their current collaboration (Press release, PCI Biotech, NOV 30, 2021, View Source [SID1234596457]).
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The companies jointly research the possibility to overcome current hurdles in cancer immunotherapy by introducing tumor independent immune targets into the tumor microenvironment, in combination with vaccination or adoptive immunotherapies. The so-called Tumor Independent Antigen concept, which has been invented by Immunicum, could benefit from PCI Biotech’s antigen delivery technologies based on Photochemical Internalisation. Following the encouraging results of the first set of in vitro experiments, during which the delivery protocol of the combination treatment has been optimized, the companies have decided to move ahead to evaluate the novel therapeutic concept in animal models. While the first experiments were conducted by Immunicum, this further in vivo evaluation will be carried out by PCI Biotech.
Commenting on the announcement PCI Biotech’s CEO, Per Walday said: "The results of the initial collaborative experiments are encouraging, supporting the immune response enhancing capability of the fimaVacc platform technology. We are committed to this collaboration and are looking forward to the next series of experiments in animal models, which are aimed to generate data that could pave the way to a potential joint development program."
Erik Manting, CEO of Immunicum added: "At Immunicum, we are continuously studying novel immunotherapy concepts aimed to address hard-to-treat established tumors and to overcome the limitations of currently available cancer therapies. In this collaboration, we are combining our know-how and technology basis with that of PCI Biotech to design potential novel therapeutic concepts and we look forward to advancing the collaboration through in vivo studies as an important next step."