Imugene Limited
Corporate Overview
Imugene Limited is an Australian biotechnology company that focuses on developing immunotherapies for the treatment of various cancers. Its lead product, HER-Vaxx, is a cancer vaccine that stimulates the immune system to target HER2-positive cancers. The company’s pipeline includes other immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases. Imugene has a global presence with research and development activities in Australia, the US, and Europe. It has collaborations with research institutions and companies, such as the National Cancer Institute in the US and the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. As a publicly listed company, Imugene is dedicated to advancing its immunotherapy pipeline, securing regulatory approvals, and generating value for its shareholders.
To develop innovative immunotherapies that improve the lives of patients with cancer and infectious diseases, while creating value for shareholders.
To become a leading biotechnology company in the field of immunotherapy, leveraging their expertise in B-cell peptide cancer vaccines and other innovative approaches to tackle unmet medical needs.
Key Personnel
Mike Tonroe
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
Jakob Dupont
Non-Executive Director
Jens Eckstein
Non-Executive Director
Lesley Russell
Non-Executive Director
Leslie (Mi Ok) Chong
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Paul Hopper
Executive Chairman and Executive Director
Projects
CAR T-cell therapy involves genetically engineering T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that redirect them to target tumors. The modified T cells are then administered to patients with cancer, where they can selectively attack cancer cells. CAR T cells that target CD19 have been particularly effective against B-cell malignancies and blood cancers. Currently, Kymriah (Novartis), Breyanzi (BMS), and Yescarta (Gilead) are the three CD19-specific CAR T cell therapies approved by the FDA to treat various types of B-cell malignancies.
CF33 is a chimeric vaccinia virus developed by Professor Yuman Fong at the City of Hope, a leading cancer research and treatment organization in the United States. Vaccinia is a genetically stable double-stranded DNA virus from the Poxviridae family, which has a history of safe use in millions of people, as it was the key component in the vaccine that eradicated smallpox, one of the deadliest diseases in human history. Furthermore, vaccinia was the first virus to show viral oncolysis in laboratory tests in 1922, making it a promising candidate for cancer treatment.
B-cell cancer vaccines are a type of immunotherapy that combines an immunogenic protein with a B-cell epitope and an adjuvant to create a vaccine that triggers the production of antibodies against normal self-proteins like PD-1 or HER2. This breaks immune tolerance, and the resulting polyclonal antibodies bind to different parts of the vaccine antigen, making them distinct from monoclonal antibody drugs that target the same site.
Milestones
- First patient dosed in nextHERIZON Phase 2 clinical trial.
- First patient dosed in cohort 3 of Oncolytic Virotherapy CHECKvacc Phase I Clinical Trial
Preclinical trial announced with Arovella’s iNKT cell therapy and Imugene’s onCARlytics (CF33-CD19) platform - Imugene selected for presentation at J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference
- New and first CHECKvacc data presented at the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
- $80 million raised in an institutional placement to provide runway for the pipeline of clinical programmes and corporate growth opportunities.
- New key management appointments announced.
