Defence Therapeutics has mandated the Transbiotech Biotechnology Research and Transfer Center to begin testing its cellular anti-cancer ARM vaccine against pancreatic cancer.
Research from the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research suggests that pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. The five-year survival rate is just 12% for all stages combined – highlighting the need for effective pharmaceuticals to mitigate the disease’s impacts.
Defence has employed its cutting-edge AccumTM technology to convert innate suppressive mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into potent antigen-presenting cells capable of producing an effective anti-tumoral response against solid tumours.
The ARM vaccine has already been tested in a range of in vivo animal models, including melanoma and T-cell lymphoma. The vaccine demonstrated effectiveness in these models, curing 80-100% of tumours.
Due to these excellent results, Defence is now collaborating with the Transbiotech Biotechnology Research and Transfer Center to investigate the ARM vaccine’s potency in animals with pre-established pancreatic tumours.
Founded in 1999, TransBIOTech supports Canadian biotech businesses by providing leading biotechnological expertise in life sciences to help achieve project goals following internationally recognised quality standards.
The ARM vaccine study will entail using the lysate of the Pan02 cell line (serving as a source of tumour antigens) mixed with the A1 dimer before in vitro pulsing MSCs. The final ARM vaccine will then be administered to allogeneic animals in combination with the anti-PD-1 immune-checkpoint inhibitor.
Sébastien Plouffe, the CEO and president of Defence Therapeutics, commented: “This study should demonstrate the potency of Defence’s ARM vaccine at treating the deadly pancreatic cancer for which standard of care has failed and to confirm the versatility of this off-the-shelf universal vaccine.
“Therefore, developing a cancer vaccine capable of eradicating this disease will be a major leap in the global fight against cancer. Successful treatment of pancreatic cancer with the ARM vaccine would certainly widen the application of this therapy to other ‘hard to treat’ cancers.”
