Vaximm goes East for cancer vaccine deal

T-cell immunotherapy expert Vaximm plans to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop personalised cancer vaccines. The biotech is collaboration with the Tokyo-based NEC Corporation and bring together NEC’s AI-based Neoantigen Prediction System and Vaximm’s proprietary T-cell immunotherapy technology.

“NEC’s novel AI technology will enable not only the identification but also the prioritisation of neoantigens from each patient, facilitating the optimal potential treatment for each individual,” said Vaximm co-founder Heinz Lubenau, who is also Chief Operating Officer of the company. “Once the list of neoantigens is available, we will be able to apply our technology to quickly produce a personalised vaccine. Individualised therapy is at the cutting edge of cancer treatment today, and, with this collaboration, we are able to further contribute to this approach.”

Trials to start next year

The vaccines are to be evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial in various solid tumours. NEC will provide funding for a Phase I clinical trial, in exchange for the rights to develop and commercialise the programme worldwide, except for China and other Asian territories outside of Japan. Vaximm will be responsible for conducting the clinical trial, which is expected to be initiated in 2020.

Osamu Fujikawa, Senior Vice President of the NEC Corporation, said: “We are delighted to be working with VAXIMM in order to develop an optimal immunotherapy for each individual patient.”