CellVax Therapeutics develops personalized, cell-based immunotherapy platforms for treating solid tumors, starting with high-risk prostate cancer. The proprietary technology modifies a patient's own cancer cells into Tumor Presenting Cells (TPCs) to stimulate a strong, multi-neoantigen immune response. This approach aims to improve disease-free survival by activating both CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ helper T cells.
Funding
$7.3M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Prostate cancer patients at high risk of recurrence after prostatectomy face limited options for preventing disease recurrence. Current treatments may not effectively target residual cancer cells, leading to disease progression and reduced survival rates. A more robust and personalized approach is needed to stimulate the immune system to eliminate remaining cancer cells.
Solution
CellVax Therapeutics is developing FK-PC101, a personalized immunotherapy that utilizes a patient's own tumor cells to create Tumor Presenting Cells (TPC). These TPCs are designed to activate both CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ helper T cells, generating a targeted immune response against cancer cells. By modifying tumor cells ex vivo to express Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) II, FK-PC101 presents tumor-associated antigens to T helper cells, triggering a strong and specific anti-cancer immune response. This approach aims to enhance disease-free survival rates in prostate cancer patients at high risk of recurrence after prostatectomy by stimulating the immune system to recognize and destroy remaining tumor cells. The treatment involves intradermal administration over several weeks, followed by maintenance inoculations.
Target Audience
The primary target audience is prostate cancer patients at high risk of recurrence after prostatectomy.
Features
- Personalized immunotherapy using autologous tumor cells
- Ex vivo modification of tumor cells to express MHC class II molecules
- Activation of both CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and CD4+ helper T cells
- Multi-neoantigen immune response against cancer cells
- Intradermal administration schedule
- Applicability to other solid tumor treatments (e.g., breast, colon, pancreatic)