Loma Therapeutics is developing an HPV-targeted immunotherapy that utilizes replication-deficient viral vectors to elicit robust CD8+ T-cell responses against HPV-induced cancers, including oropharyngeal, cervical, and anal cancers. This approach aims to eradicate existing tumors and prevent the progression of HPV-infected cells, addressing the significant health burden of over 800,000 HPV-related cancer cases globally each year.
Funding
$660K 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
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections can lead to various cancers, including oropharyngeal, cervical, and anal cancers, affecting over 800,000 individuals globally each year. Current treatments for these cancers often result in severe morbidity and may not prevent recurrence due to the persistence of the underlying HPV infection. Existing preventative vaccines do not eradicate existing infections.
Solution
Loma Therapeutics is developing an HPV-targeted immunotherapy, Loma001, designed to eliminate existing HPV-infected cells and prevent the progression of pre-cancerous cells into tumors. The immunotherapy utilizes replication-deficient viral vectors to deliver a broad range of full-length HPV antigens, expressed throughout all stages of the HPV viral life cycle, to stimulate a robust and broad T cell response. This approach activates cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells that recognize and kill HPV+ tumor cells and HPV-infected cells. By targeting a wide range of HPV antigens, the immunotherapy aims to enhance the likelihood of generating a robust immune response in all treated patients, preventing cancer cells from escaping and potentially treating pre-cancer infections.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with HPV-induced cancers, such as oropharyngeal, cervical, and anal cancers, as well as individuals with pre-cancerous HPV infections.
Features
- Utilizes replication-deficient viral vectors for safe and effective delivery of HPV antigens.
- Targets a broad range of full-length HPV antigens expressed throughout the viral life cycle.
- Designed to elicit robust and broad T cell responses, increasing the likelihood of immune recognition of HPV-infected cells.
- Incorporates a genetic adjuvant to maximize immune activation.
- Aims to eradicate existing cancer and prevent the progression of potentially cancerous cells.
- Demonstrated antitumor efficacy in preclinical mouse models.
- Human ex vivo data supports the potential to induce strong and functional CD8+ T cell responses.