Diakonos is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a Dendritic Cell Vaccine (DCV) that utilizes a patented "double-loading" technique to enhance the immune system's ability to recognize and attack cancer cells, specifically targeting pancreatic adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and sarcoma. This approach aims to activate the body's natural anti-viral response to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of cancer relapse.
Funding
$11.4M 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
Current cancer treatments often fail to fully eradicate tumors, leading to relapse, and may not effectively leverage the body's own immune system to target cancer cells. Solid tumors like pancreatic adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and sarcoma are particularly difficult to treat and have poor prognoses.
Solution
Diakonos Oncology is developing DOC1021, an autologous dendritic cell vaccine (DCV) designed to stimulate a robust, targeted immune response against cancer. The vaccine utilizes a proprietary "double-loading" technique where a patient's dendritic cells are combined with RNA and proteins extracted from their tumor sample. This process mimics the body's natural response to viral infections, prompting the immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells expressing the full range of tumor-specific antigens. By activating a complete cytotoxic T H 1 immune response, DOC1021 aims to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in patients with difficult-to-treat solid tumors. The approach does not require genetic modification of the patient's immune cells or preconditioning of bone marrow.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with solid tumors such as glioblastoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and sarcoma, as well as the oncologists and medical centers treating these cancers.
Features
- Autologous dendritic cell vaccine (DCV) utilizing patient-derived dendritic cells.
- Proprietary "double-loading" technique combining RNA and proteins from the patient's tumor.
- Activation of a complete cytotoxic T H 1 immune response for targeted tumor cell destruction.
- Targets the complete cancer antigen profile without genetic modification of immune cells.
- Designed for difficult-to-treat solid tumors, including glioblastoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and sarcoma.
- Clinical trials underway to evaluate safety and efficacy.
- Fast Track designation from the FDA for glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer programs.
- Orphan Drug Designation for the glioblastoma program.