- Imugene (IMU) has received the tick of approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee to start a human trial for its immunotherapy drug, PD1-Vaxx
- PD1-Vaxx is designed to treat tumours such as lung cancer
- The Australian Lung Foundation estimates that 12,800 Australians are diagnosed with lung cancer every year and Imugene hopes to improve the treatment for cancer patients
- The human trial will involve patients with non-small cell lung cancer, who will be tested with different doses of PD1-Vaxx
- Imugene is up 5.36 per cent on the market this morning and is trading for 5.9 cents
Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company Imugene (IMU) has received approval to commence a phase one human trial of its immunotherapy drug, PD1-Vaxx.
The approval has come from the Human Research Ethics Committee and represents the third independent review of PD1-Vaxx in Australia.
Ethics approval confirms the company has completed all the necessary pre-clinical safety and efficacy testing.
PD1-Vaxx is a b-cell cancer immunotherapy that is designed to treat tumours such as lung cancer.
The human trial will involve patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Medical investigators will test different doses of PD1-Vaxx as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs.
The third hospital to receive ethics approval is the Cabrini hospital in Melbourne.
“The start of our Australian study is a significant milestone for Imugene and clinicians treating Australians faced with the challenge of lung cancer,” CEO Leslie Chong said.
“Receiving a third ethics approval and finalizing Macquarie University Hospital site activation process to commence patient screening is exciting,” she added.
The Australian Lung Foundation estimates that 12,800 Australians are diagnosed with lung cancer every year.
Imugene is up 5.36 per cent on the market this morning and is trading for 5.9 cents per share at 11:04 am AEST.