Replimune develops HSV‑1‑based oncolytic immunotherapies that are injected directly into tumors to lyse cancer cells and deliver immune‑modulating transgenes such as GM‑CSF and anti‑CTLA‑4. This dual action creates an in‑situ vaccine that aims to trigger a systemic, durable T‑cell response against solid tumors, and the platform is designed for use as monotherapy or in combination with checkpoint inhibitors.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Current cancer therapies often fail to generate a durable systemic immune response, especially in patients with heterogeneous or checkpoint‑inhibitor‑resistant tumors. Existing treatments may shrink injected lesions but do not consistently activate the immune system to target distant disease sites.
Solution
Replimune develops next‑generation oncolytic immunotherapies based on a proprietary HSV‑1 (RPx) platform. The engineered viruses are injected directly into tumors, where they lyse cancer cells and deliver transgenes such as GM‑CSF and anti‑CTLA‑4 to modulate the tumor microenvironment. This dual mechanism—direct oncolysis plus enhanced T‑cell activation—aims to convert the treated lesion into an in‑situ vaccine that triggers a systemic, durable anti‑tumor immune response. The platform can be applied to both superficial and deep lesions, enabling treatment of diverse solid tumor types and combination with checkpoint inhibitors or other standard therapies. Clinical programs evaluate RPx candidates as monotherapy and in combination regimens across melanoma, non‑melanoma skin cancers, metastatic uveal melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and organ‑transplant‑associated skin cancers.
Target Audience
Primary customers are oncology clinicians and research institutions conducting clinical trials of oncolytic immunotherapies, as well as pharmaceutical partners seeking combination strategies for solid tumor treatment.
Features
- HSV‑1‑based viral vector engineered to express immune‑modulating transgenes (e.g., GM‑CSF, anti‑CTLA‑4)
- Direct intratumoral injection capable of targeting superficial and deep lesions
- Dual action: oncolytic cell lysis plus induction of systemic T‑cell activation
- Designed for combination with checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., nivolumab, atezolizumab) to overcome resistance
- Proprietary RPx platform with wholly owned, unencumbered intellectual property
- Clinical pipeline spanning multiple cancer indications, including advanced melanoma, uveal melanoma, HCC, and transplant‑associated skin cancers