TORONTO, ON and REHOVOT, ISRAEL–(Marketwired – November 29, 2016) – VAXIL BIO LTD. (TSX VENTURE: VXL) is pleased to report preliminary pre-clinical results demonstrating anti-cancer activity of Immucin™ in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. Furthermore, Vaxil’s scientists have made significant progress for Orphan Designated product Immucin™ in demonstrating its ability to act as a neo-antigen, with potential to strongly stimulate the immune system.
“We previously announced our intention to launch a revamped R&D program, and we are very pleased to have witnessed such positive initial results from combination testing,” commented Dr. Chen, Vaxil’s VP of Operations. “I am excited to see these new data now rapidly accumulating in support of Immucin acting as a neo-antigen. With regards to potential combination options, we view Vaxil’s immunotherapies as highly synergistic, given their strong safety profile and unique mechanism for targeting cancer antigens. There are several key advantages which could make Immucin™ an optimal candidate for combination with these modalities.”
Combination with Checkpoint Inhibitors
Vaxil has launched testing of Immucin™ in combination with other immunotherapy modalities including checkpoint inhibitors PD1 and CTLA4. Preliminary results demonstrate potential for achieving better responses when combined in a therapeutic regimen. With its newly added, state-of-the-art flow cytometry equipment, the company is vigorously testing the capacity of its MUC1 peptide and antibodies to act in concert with the most advanced immunotherapy agents to enhance the specific immune response in several hematological malignancies and solid tumors.
Immucin™ has demonstrated its ability to induce robust immune responses in 100% of patients included in its Phase-I/II, across MHC barriers and in various grades of myeloma. Immucin™ can be efficiently manufactured with conventional synthetic methods and therefore is also expected to be a cost-effective novel treatment to augment current therapeutic strategies. Vaxil has developed a unique antibody platform which includes proprietary and novel anti-signal peptide specific monoclonal antibodies, which the Company believes holds potential for both therapeutic and diagnostic uses. The Company intends on including these antibodies in future combination tests. The Company will continue to evaluate including combination options in its Phase-II trial.
Neo-Antigen Acting
Results to date support Vaxil’s hypothesis, namely that its lead product, orphan drug designated Immucin, is able to act as a neo-antigen, thereby enabling a robust and specific immune response against cancer cells. In general, neo-antigens are mutated proteins presented only on the surface of cancer cells and have been shown to elicit a specific immune response against the tumor. However, Vaxil’s proprietary VaxHit™ platform technology enables the identification of native signal peptide sequences which may act as neo-antigens, and have already been shown to trigger a broad, durable and robust immune response in cancer patients. The current results strengthen the hypothesis that Immucin, the company’s lead immunotherapy product, derived from the tumor associated antigen, MUC1, is a native sequence that the immune system is able to recognize as “foreign” and efficiently attack on cancer cells. This will enable to develop a novel, broad, safe and cost-effective treatment strategies that may overcome some of the downsides of current immunotherapies.
About Vaxil
Vaxil is a cutting edge Israeli-Canadian immuno-oncology biotech with its R&D based in the Weizmann Science Park and listed on the TSX-V. Vaxil specializes in the development of immunotherapy products for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases by activating the patient’s immune system. Vaxil immunotherapy products are based on the proprietary VaxHit™ platform. The first product developed through VaxHit™ is known as Immucin™, a clinical staged immunotherapy which was awarded Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA and EMA. It has already completed a successful Phase-I/II and will now be positioned toward a larger Phase-II. Recently, Vaxil utilized VaxHit™ in order to develop the first-ever signal peptide specific antibodies. Vaxil believes its recombinant antibodies have potential to assist in diagnosing and treating cancer.
Website with full presentation and all medical articles freely downloadable: www.VaxilBio.com
Link to a film about the company’s technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5yFOjrKSxE
Forward-looking Statements:
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Isaac Maresky
Executive Director
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