Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avant Immunotherapeutics) announced multi-year clinical research collaborations with the 3M to access their proprietary Immune Response Modifier Resiquimod (and additional Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 agonists (TLR)) for clinical study with Celldex's proprietary Antigen Presenting Cell (APC) Targeting Technology, for use as vaccine adjuvants.
"The combination of 3M's TLR 7/8 agonists with the APC Targeting Technology products is synergistic in itself, and we believe that they can also be used to create second generation conjugated vaccines that deliver the vaccine and TLR agonists directly to the immune system within a single construct," said Tibor Keler, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Avant Immunotherapeutics. "This collaboration, in addition to our existing agreement with Oncovir, allows us to conduct combination studies with clinically tested TLR agonists. We are now in a position to explore a comprehensive vaccine strategy that targets multiple individual immune activation pathways based on the most recent scientific advances".
The foundation of the APC Targeting Technology is the ability of the Company's proprietary monoclonal antibodies to deliver vaccines directly to professional APCs, such as dendritic cells and macrophages. Celldex's APC Targeting Technology product candidates can access the immune system far more efficiently than traditional vaccine approaches, and can be readily combined with adjuvants to enhance immunity against cancer or infectious diseases.
"We believe that our APC Targeting Technology and our collaborative relationship with 3M and Oncovir provide us with a unique opportunity to develop combination immunotherapies," added Thomas Davis, MD, Avant's chief medical officer. "The preclinical data suggest that combinations will be more potent, and the immunotherapy field is eager to see these combination tested. Our ability to license such adjuvants for comprehensive immunotherapy could open a new era".
The 3M and Oncovir products will initially be combined with Celldex's lead APC Targeting Technology programme, CDX-1307, currently in phase I studies for patients with incurable breast, bladder, pancreatic, or colorectal cancer. Additional clinical programmes combining APC Targeting Technology and TLR agonists are planned in oncology and infectious disease indications. Celldex will have the flexibility to use these TLR agonists, alone or in combination, in conjunction with its novel antibody-targeting platform. This will enable the company to uniquely advance its broad immunotherapy portfolio across a range of disease indications.
A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M's core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms - often in combination - to a wide array of customer needs. With $24 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60 countries.
Oncovir, Inc is a pharmaceutical corporation dedicated to the development of nucleic-acid-based clinical therapies for cancer, infectious, immune, and degenerative disorders. Based in Washington, DC, Oncovir has been investigating the use of Hiltonol (Poly ICLC) in a series of clinical studies toward brain cancer and smallpox virus.