ImmuneRegen's Homspera with Scancell's ImmunoBody technology improves immune response for cancer

Sep 8 2010

ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc.®, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:IRBS), today announced that treatment with its lead compound, Homspera®, in combination with a DNA vaccine utilizing Scancell's ImmunoBody® technology significantly improved the immune response of the vaccine in an animal model. Follow-up studies are currently being performed to optimize the effects of Homspera in enhancing the next generation of Scancell's cancer vaccines.

ImmuneRegen's Homspera has previously been found to improve the efficacy of a melanoma cancer vaccine in mice, resulting in persistent and specific immune responses associated with inhibition of melanoma tumor growth. Additionally, previous studies have demonstrated efficacy of Homspera in enhancing immune responses to infectious disease vaccines, such as influenza. Both applications are being aggressively developed by ImmuneRegen in combination with significant academic and industry partners.

Scancell is developing therapeutic cancer vaccines, and has recently announced the commencement of a Phase I clinical trial utilizing the company's SCIB1 product being developed for the treatment of melanoma. SCIB1 is a novel DNA vaccine being developed using Scancell's patented ImmunoBody® technology. ImmunoBody® vaccines generate the high-avidity T-cells that kill cancer cells, which may overcome the current limitations of most cancer vaccines. SCIB1 is a piece of DNA which codes for a human antibody molecule designed to express a melanoma protein called Tyrosinase-Related Protein 2 (TRP2) plus additional proteins that help direct the engineered antibody to be taken up by dendritic cells of the immune system, so that immune responses will be developed against tumor cells expressing the TRP2 antigen. A unique advantage of Scancell's Immunobody® technology is that a different component of the engineered antibody targets it specifically to dendritic cells, leading to a significant enhancement of the immune response. According to Scancell, this enhanced immune response against TRP2 is expected to lead to the inhibition and regression of both primary and metastatic melanoma tumor growth.

"We are pleased to see we can positively augment immune responses elicited by Scancell's ImmunoBody® vaccines," said Hal Siegel Ph.D., ImmuneRegen's Chief Scientific Officer. "Based on our previous demonstration of enhanced dendritic cell responses to TRP2-encoding DNA vaccine following Homspera exposure, Scancell's ImmunoBody® vaccine technology presents a very desirable developmental opportunity. We are very happy with our ongoing relationship and recognize that ongoing studies could potentially benefit both companies."

"I am pleased with the results achieved by this collaboration to date and look forward to continuing to work with ImmuneRegen as we progress with follow-up studies," commented Professor Lindy Durrant, Chief Executive Officer of Scancell.