Project description
Innovative vaccine against pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease for which no treatment is available. CyTuVax B.V. is a biotech enterprise applying depot-formulated cytokines to increase immune responses when used in very high local density. The company developed an innovative technology that can be applied to any vaccine and influence future vaccine technology. The EU-funded PanCaVax project will focus on developing a cost-affordable vaccine for pancreatic cancer. This therapy should substantially improve the life expectancy by extending the median survival rate to at least 12-24 months. The project intends to achieve a favourable clinical outcome and sufficient proof of efficacy for the next steps in Phase IIb/IIIa, regulatory approval and ultimate access to pancreatic cancer patients.
Objective
CyTuVax B.V. is a biotech enterprise founded in Maastricht (the Netherlands) in October 2012. It applies depot-formulated
cytokines (interaction molecules of the immune system), which enhance immune responses in an unprecedented manner
when used in extremely high local density. Single and multi-cytokine combinations can be formulated by simple procedures
and act as strong adjuvants, driving immune responses to their limits. It is a universal, patented platform adjuvant technology
that can be applied to any vaccines and can have great influence on future vaccine technology. CyTuVax achieved the first
clinical proof of concept in a Phase I trial in which 90% of hepatitis B non-responders were successfully vaccinated. Phase II
is on-going. CyTuVax decided now to focus on the challenging problem of developing a vaccine for pancreatic cancer, a
deadly disease for which no curative treatment exists. Its cancer vaccination therapy (PanCaVax) should substantially
improve the life-expectancy by extending the median survival rate to at least 12-24 months. Costs of PanCaVax will be
considerably less compared to checkpoint inhibitor antibodies, with locally strong, but systemically mild, side effects
expected. CyTuVax’ highly motivated team’s next step is to complete the preclinical development of
PanCaVax. Key impact of our innovation would be that it is providing a favorable clinical outcome and sufficient proof of efficacy to obtain financial resources for next steps in Phase IIb/IIIa, regulatory approval and ultimate access to pancreatic cancer patients currently lacking an acceptable therapy.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgery
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseases
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccines
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapy
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologypancreatic cancer
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
6229 EV MAASTRICHT
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.