Advaxis entered into a collaboration with investigators at City of Hope for the development of a vaccine based on the company’s live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) platform to treat certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma.
The City of Hope team will study one of Advaxis’ vaccines directed against the tumor associated antigen WT-1. This molecule is observed to be overexpressed in certain cancers of the blood as well as some solid tumors such as breast, pancreas, and brain cancers, the researchers point out.
Advaxis’ lead vaccine candidate, Lovaxin C, is in Phase I trials as a treatment for metastatic cancer of the cervix, and resulting data has found it to be safe. Lovaxin C is also in late preclinical development in head and neck cancers. Earlier in preclinical development are candidates for breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.