Regeneus's Kvax featured in cancer journal

Regeneus’s (ASX:RGS) canine cancer vaccine Kvax has been featured in the scientific journal Cancer Immunology Research.

The peer-reviewed article details promising research into Kvax, including the finding that the vaccine led to remission rates of 30-60% in a preclinical rat glioma model. The rats also showed signs of acquired immunity.

It also describes the treatment of 25 dogs with a range of canine cancers at veterinary clinics in Sydney. The study demonstrated that there were no safety issues and that dogs survived longer than expected.

The Kvax technology was developed by Professor Ross Davey and Dr Chris Weir at the Bill Walsh Translational Cancer Research Laboratory at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

It involves removing a tumour or biopsy from the patient and using this as source material to create a personalised vaccine. This vaccine is designed to stimulate the immune system to recognise and treat cancer cells as foreign.

Regeneus has the exclusive worldwide commercial licence to Kvax in veterinary applications as well as an option over human applications.

“The work in dogs suggests that the vaccine is effective in a wide range of tumour types, which makes this a very significant commercial opportunity,” commented Duncan Thomson, head of Regeneus’s veterinary business unit.

In November, Regeneus secured approval from the US Department of Agriculture to commercialise Kvax as a canine vaccine in the market. The company is now preparing to open a vaccine manufacturing site in the US and conduct a marketing trial.

Regeneus (ASX:RGS) shares were trading 3.23% higher at $0.48 as of around 2 pm on Friday.