Biolife signs cancer vaccine manufacturing deal

Sydney-based biopharmaceutical company Biolife Science has entered a deal for partner Pevion Biotech to manufacture its HER-Vaxx anticancer vaccine.

The company has signed a letter of intent with Swiss immunotherapy company Pevion covering the manufacture of the product and exclusive access to a Pevion patent surrounding its design.

Under the agreement, Pevion will manufacture HER-Vaxx for upcoming phase II trials in gastric cancer. Biolife Science estimates that the manufacturing cost for clinical trial supplies will be around $1 million.

Pevion will also be entitled to royalties on any eventual sales of HER-Vaxx, which was developed using peptides supplied by Biolife Science and a Pevion vaccine platform.

HER-Vaxx is being developed as an alternative to injectable antibody Herceptin. Both treatments target the HER-2 receptor, which is overexpressed in certain cancer cells.

Herceptin, or trastuzumab, is mainly used to treat early- and late-stage breast cancer. It generated US$6.4 billion ($6.18 billion) in sales in 2012. Both products also have potential applications in other cancers including ovarian and pancreatic.

Biolife Science plans to file a New Drug Application for the vaccine with the US FDA in Q3. Executive chairman Dr Roger Aston told Australian Life Scientist that the company will probably seek a marketing partner for HER-Vaxx once the product is further along with clinical development.

The company has arranged an ASX listing through the reverse takeover of Acuvax (ASX:ACU), through which it aims to raise $5 million to support the upcoming phase II trials.