Targovax granted two US patents in short time
Our portfolio company Targovax has over the short time span of eight days managed to be granted not one, but two, US patents for their mutant-RAS neoantigen platform.
- The first patent is issued to protect Targovax’ mutant-RAS specific neoantigen vaccines, TG01 and TG02, for the treatment of cancer in combination with anti-metabolite chemotherapy. Read more about this here.
- The second patent protects the composition of Targovax’ mutant-RAS specific neoantigen vaccine TG02, for stimulating the immune system of cancer patients with RAS mutated tumors. Read more about this here.
In relation to first patent being granted, Jon Amund Eriksen, Chief Technology Innovation Officer, and Co-founder of Targovax, said:
“We are delighted that this US patent has been granted, further strengthening Targovax’ intellectual property portfolio covering the very important mutant-RAS neoantigen. The oncology market is ever expanding, with the immuno-oncology segment expected to see the largest growth in the coming years. Securing this patent protects our innovative mutant-RAS specific cancer immunotherapy platform and strengthens our market position for treatment of RAS-mutated cancers.”
About Targovax
Arming the patient’s immune system to fight cancer
Targovax is a clinical stage company focused on developing and commercializing novel immuno-oncology therapies to target, primarily, treatment-resistant solid tumors. Immuno-oncology is currently one of the fastest growing therapeutic fields in medicine.
The Company’s development pipeline is based on two novel proprietary platforms:
The first platform, ONCOS, uses oncolytic viruses as potential multi-target, neo-antigen therapeutic cancer vaccines. ONCOS exclusively uses an adenovirus that has been engineered to be an immune activator that selectively targets cancer cells. In phase I studies it has demonstrated immune activation at lesional level which was associated with clinical benefit. In an ongoing phase I trial in advanced melanoma we expect important proof of concept data for checkpoint inhibitor refractory patients.
The second, TG, is a target specific, neo-antigen therapeutic cancer vaccine platform that solely targets tumors that express mutated forms of the RAS protein. Mutations to this protein are common in many cancers and are known to drive aggressive disease progression and treatment resistance. There is a high unmet medical need for therapies that are effective against tumors that express these mutations. The TG platform’s therapeutic potential stems from its ability to enable a patient’s immune system to identify and then destroy tumors bearing any RAS mutations. In early 2017, key proof of concept data for the TG platform from a clinical trial of TG01 in resected pancreatic cancer patients showed encouraging overall survival and will give guidance for the future clinical development of this platform.
Targovax’s development pipeline has three novel therapeutic candidates in clinical development covering six indications.
Both platforms are protected by an extensive portfolio of IP and know-how and have the potential to yield multiple product candidates in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, Targovax has other products in early stages of development.
In July 2016, the Company listed its shares on Oslo Axess. In March 2017, the shares moved to Oslo Børs, the main Oslo Stock Exchange.
Source: Targovax ASA