Vaccine development company, Voltron Therapeutics, has announced the finalization of a Dose-Ranging Efficacy Study protocol for their protein-based cancer vaccine, VTX-0P4. This vaccine targets Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA), a key component in the treatment of Prostate Cancer. The company’s Self-Assembling Vaccine (SAV) platform has the ability to target full proteins, as well as peptides, making it a versatile tool in the fight against oncology and infectious diseases. The forthcoming pre-clinical trial is set to begin in December.
Voltron recently conducted a double-blind pre-clinical trial at the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, which demonstrated the vaccine’s efficacy against PSCA. The trial showed the vaccine significantly enhancing T-cell responses in comparison to the control group, while maintaining a high safety profile. These responses were on par with the company’s previous studies on HPV-induced cancer, resulting in improved survival rates and reduced tumor progression in mouse models. This suggests that VTX-0P4 could also effectively address other tumor antigen-expressing cancers using a full protein approach.
Voltron’s CEO, Pat Gallagher, stated that this new trial allows the company to explore more complex targeting approaches for multiple cancer types and infectious diseases. The trial will evaluate the vaccine as both a monotherapy and in combination with a Checkpoint Inhibitor, PD-1.
The Potential of the SAV Platform
The SAV platform is a novel mechanism of action for vaccine development that offers rapid production at a reduced cost. It utilizes a universal backbone for all vaccines, with different ‘targeting warheads’ for specific targets. This cost-effective production method can accommodate various types of antigens, including proteins, peptides, polysaccharides, or nucleic acids. By using the same core immune activating component, MTBHSP70, in all vaccines, the SAV platform minimizes the risk of off-target inflammation associated with standard adjuvants. In addition, Voltron has already established good manufacturing processes for clinical testing.
FAQ
What is the potential of Voltron’s vaccine platform?
The Self-Assembling Vaccine (SAV) platform has the potential to target dozens of oncology and infectious disease targets, with a collective market potential worth billions of dollars.
What did the recent pre-clinical trial demonstrate?
The trial showed that VTX-0P4, the protein-based cancer vaccine, significantly augmented T-cell responses against Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA) in comparison to the control group. It also exhibited a high safety profile.
What other tumor types could the vaccine effectively target?
Based on previous studies, VTX-0P4 has the potential to address other tumor antigen-expressing cancers using a full protein approach.
What is the SAV platform’s mechanism of action?
The SAV platform utilizes the same backbone for all vaccines but can accommodate different ‘targeting warheads’ for specific targets. This allows for rapid and cost-effective vaccine production.
What is the advantage of using the same core immune activating component in all vaccines?
By using the same core immune activating component, off-target inflammation, which is often associated with standard adjuvants, is minimized. This reduces regulatory risks and enhances the safety profile of the vaccines.
Sources: voltrontx.com
