Imugene to develop mimotope-based immunotherapies
Immuno-oncology company Imugene (ASX: IMU) yesterday announced the extension of its partnership with the Medical University of Vienna to discover and develop new mimotope-based immunotherapies against validated and new oncology targets.
A mimotope is a small molecule, often a peptide, which mirrors the structure of an epitope, the specific target to which an antibody binds. Because of this property, it induces an antibody response similar to the one elicited by the epitope. Mimotope vaccines can trigger B-cells to produce antibodies cross reactive with the native epitope they recognise.
“Mimotope cancer vaccines are set to be part of the next wave of the immuno-oncology revolution in cancer therapy,” said Ursula Wiedermann, chief scientific officer at Imugene and a professor of vaccinology at the Medical University of Vienna.
From 2016 onwards, Imugene and researchers in Professor Wiedermann’s laboratory will seek to identify mimotopes which mimic selected oncology targets. Professor Wiedermann said their approach will overcome the challenges associated with traditional methods such as commercially available random libraries, including the possible detection of false positive target antigens.
“With this new approach, we will also open up opportunities beyond oncology, such as infectious diseases or immunological disorders,” she added.
Imugene will own the intellectual property in the mimotope vaccines generated under the partnership, as well as the right to use the platform to generate additional mimotope vaccines independent of the university. In addition, the company is entitled to access additional mimotope vaccines of interest to it.
“We look forward with anticipation to developments in this area,” said Imugene Executive Chairman Paul Hopper. “Whilst being cautious about the early stage of the program, what is particularly exciting is the potential to discover mimotopes for vaccination against cancer targets offering the opportunity to further develop the current treatment concepts of best-selling drugs.”
Imugene (ASX: IMU) shares finished 8.33% lower at $0.011 at the close of trade on Wednesday.
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