Generex and Pevion Biotech to develop immunotherapeutic vaccines for cancers

Published: 18-Dec-2008

Generex Biotechnology and Pevion Biotech are to work together to develop next-generation vaccines and immunotherapeutic products.


Generex Biotechnology and Pevion Biotech are to work together to develop next-generation vaccines and immunotherapeutic products.

Both companies have experience in developing immunotherapeutic vaccines for cancers, focusing specifically on oncogenes over-expressed in breast, ovarian, prostate, stomach and colon cancer as well as other malignancies.

Within this collaboration, Generex subsidiary Antigen Express, based in Switzerland, will combine Pevion Biotech's virosome technology with its own immunotherapy technology and is conducting trials in patients with breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. The combination of the two technologies will stimulate different portions of the immune system.

Pevion Biotech has developed products based on its virosome technology to enhance the vaccine potency of various antigens. Antigen Express is developing next-generation immunotherapeutic peptides using technology to increase antigen-specific stimulation of CD4+ T helper cells. T helper cells are known to play an important role in regulating many branches of the immune system (eg cellular and antibody responses) and have been characterised as the 'generals' of the immune system.

Virosomes are designed to interact with cells to elicit a robust immune response as well as to deliver antigens for specific immune recognition.

Rinaldo Zurbriggen, chief scientific officer of Pevion, said: "This is a great opportunity to collaborate with qualified and experienced partners in the cancer field to advance their antigens as a potential next-generation immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer."

You may also like