Jun 30, 2010
By Andy Georgiades
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
TORONTO (Dow Jones)--A vaccine can be significantly enhanced with the right
delivery system, and that's where Immunovaccine Inc. (IMV.V) thinks it has an
edge.
A spin-off of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Immunovaccine started in animal
health, but a few years ago decided to focus its efforts on developing products
for humans.
"I was approached and asked to help make the company a real commercial
entity," Randal Chase, the company's president and chief executive, told Dow
Jones.
What Immunovaccine offers now is DepoVax, a vaccine-delivery platform that
boasts such benefits as enhanced efficacy with fewer doses, and promising early
results in cancer treatment.
Here's how it works. A vaccine, which is composed of an antigen and adjuvant,
is put into a liposome. The liposome is then formulated as an oil, creating an
oil depot, which is what makes the process unique, Chase explained.
Because the human body recognizes foreign objects and tries to remove them,
vaccines can be eliminated in days or hours, long before they have a chance to
work. However, when the vaccine is in an oil, it can last in the body for weeks
or months.
"These (immune system) cells surround the oil, and they're trying to remove
the oil, and as they do so they're presented with the liposomes containing the
vaccine," he said. "The result is the body reacts much stronger, either with an
antibody or cellular response."
The company sees huge growth in this sector as the availability of new vaccine
formulations and delivery technologies allows scientists to challenge diseases
that have eluded them in the past.
While Immunovaccine continues to partner DepoVax with others, most recently
Oncothyreon Inc. (ONTY) and Vaxil BioTherapeutics, the company has higher
aspirations: using DepoVax to develop novel vaccines of its own.
Chase said Immunovaccine is focused on two products in development. In a very
early stage is a vaccine for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a serious hospital-acquired
infection that can strike people with weakened immune systems.
The other product just began enrolling for a Phase I clinical trial in
patients with advanced breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. The vaccine uses
seven peptide antigens licensed from a U.S. company. "We're coming at it from
seven directions, and so the chances to kill the cancer are much higher," he
said. The company has enough cash to last into 2011, when final results are due.
The idea that a vaccine can play an important role in cancer treatment was
validated by the approval of Dendreon Corp.'s (DNDN) Provenge. He said surgeons
can only remove the parts of a tumor they can see, and that's typically followed
by radiation or chemotherapy. But a vaccine involves the immune system in the
fight by tracking down "rogue" cancer cells in the body.
"Now we want to have other vaccines out there; stronger, more longer-lasting,
more generally applicable, and easier to use," Chase said.
Company Web Site: http://www.imvaccine.com
-By Andy Georgiades; Dow Jones Newswires; 416-306-2031;
andy.georgiades@dowjones.com
TALK BACK: We invite readers to send us comments on this or other financial
news topics. Please email us at TalkbackAmericas@dowjones.com. Readers should
include their full names, work or home addresses and telephone numbers for
verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit and publish your comments
along with your name; we reserve the right not to publish reader comments.
END) Dow Jones Newswires
URL
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100630-709652.html
Source
Copyright © 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.