Avacta & OncoSec Enter Research Collaboration

Avacta Group and OncoSec Medical Incorporated have entered into a research collaboration to combine Avacta’s Affimer protein platform with OncoSec’s gene delivery technology ImmunoPulse. The research program will evaluate the benefits of delivering Affimer protein genes directly into tumors using the OncoSec technology with the long-term aim of developing gene delivered Affimer immunotherapies.

The collaboration between the companies aims to show that, by using ImmunoPulse to deliver DNA encoding Avacta’s immuno-modulatory Affimers, including Avacta’s PD-L1 inhibitor (AVA04), into tumor cells and other tissues, a clinically relevant dose can be achieved. The companies plan to then demonstrate efficacy of the Affimers in a relevant in vivo tumor model. 

“This important milestone in the evolution of our platform further solidifies OncoSec as a leader in gene delivery of intratumoral cancer immunotherapies,” said Daniel J. O’Connor, chief executive officer of OncoSec.  “We are delighted to be collaborating with Avacta on the innovative science that is set to transform the lives of patients living with cancer and other devastating diseases. We look forward to the advancement of this collaboration and to sharing the broader clinical application of OncoSec’s ImmunoPulse platform in 2018.”

Each party will bear their own internal costs and will share any third-party costs associated to the partnership, which are estimated to be non-significant.