A U.S. and Swiss biotech company have formed a research collaboration to focus on new therapeutic cancer vaccines. Worcester, MA-based Generex and Switzerland's Pevion Biotech plan to initially concentrate their work on oncogenes over-expressed in breast, ovarian, prostate, stomach and colon cancer, as well as other malignancies. Generex subsidiary Antigen Express combines Pevion Biotech's virosome technology with its own technology and is conducting trials in patients with breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. The combination of the two technologies will stimulate different portions of the immune system.
Pevion has developed products based on its virosome technology to enhance the vaccine potency of antigens. Antigen Express is developing immunotherapeutic peptides using technology to increase antigen-specific stimulation of CD4+ T helper cells. Virosomes are designed to interact with cells to elicit an immune response, as well as to deliver antigens for specific immune recognition.
"This is a great opportunity to collaborate with qualified and experienced partners in the cancer field to advance their antigens as a potential next-generation immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer," says Rinaldo Zurbriggen, CSO of Pevion.
- check out the press release