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- Imugene (IMU) has received a second Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval to begin a phase one trial of PD1-Vaxx in Australia
- The Macquarie University hospital in Sydney will be joining the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse as the second hospital to receive ethics approval
- The aim of this phase one trial is to determine the safety, efficacy, tolerability and optimal dose of PD1-Vaxx
- PD1-Vaxx is used to treat tumours such as lung cancer by obstructing programmed death-ligand one (PD-1/PD-L1) and producing an anti-cancer effect
- PD-1/PD-L1 is a type of protein that plays a role in suppressing the adaptive arm of the immune system
- Imugene up a steady 8.33 per cent on the market and shares are trading for 3.9 cents each
Imugene (IMU) has received a second Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval to begin a phase one trial of PD1-Vaxx in Australia.
The biotech company received first approval on July 14 and announced that the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney was the first hospital to receive ethics approval.
Today however, Imugene announced that a second hospital has received ethics approval, the Macquarie University hospital in Sydney.
Imugene is aiming to open more sites across Australia as well as the U.S. following a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) submission.
This phase one trial will involve patients with non-small cell lung cancer and will aim to determine the safety and optimal dosage of PD1-Vaxx in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytruda.
The efficacy, tolerability, and immune response will also be measured.
PD1-Vaxx is a B-cell cancer immunotherapy that is used to treat tumours and does so by obstructing programmed death-ligand one (PD-1/PD-L1) and producing an anti-cancer effect similar to Keytruda.
PD-1/PD-L1 is a type of protein that plays a role in suppressing the adaptive arm (an immunity that often occurs after exposure to an an antigen such as measles) of the immune system in events such as pregnancy, autoimmune disease, and hepatitis.
“The start of our Australian study is a significant milestone for Imugene and clinicians treating Australians faced with the challenge of lung cancer,” CEO and Managing Director, Leslie Chong said.
“Receiving a second ethics approval so soon after our first is exciting. We look forward to announcing further sites in Australia and the U.S.,” she said.
Imugene up a steady 8.33 per cent on the market and shares are trading for 3.9 cents each at 1:51 pm AEST.
