Imugene appoints Bachem to manufacture cancer vaccine peptide

THE ROADHOUSE PHARMACY: Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) has appointed Bachem AG to undertake clinical-grade manufacture of the peptide component of its proprietary therapeutic HER-2+ cancer vaccine HER-Vaxx.

Imugene said Bachem has experience in synthesising clinical grade peptides suitable for incorporation and assembly into the vaccine delivery platform to be used in HER-Vaxx, and has previously manufactured the peptides (three individual peptide B-cell epitope antigens) used in the completed Phase 1 breast cancer trial.

All three peptides are being combined into a single (longer) version of peptide, which Imugene said could potentially result in manufacturing challenges.
 
Bachem has now completed a successful feasibility for this longer peptide, and hence manufacture of the vaccine has now commenced.

HER-Vaxx is a proprietary therapeutic cancer vaccine that stimulates a polyclonal antibody response to HER-2/neu.
 
HER-Vaxx has successfully completed a Phase 1 study in breast cancer and the next stage of development will be a Phase 2 study in gastric cancer.

“Over my 25 years in the global peptide community from both the scientific and business perspective, Bachem has been a constant in quality and experience,” Imugene Limited executive director Dr Nick Ede said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Given Bachem’s experience in supplying peptides in the form suitable for our vaccine delivery platform, this is a logical choice for the manufacture of our clinical grade peptide.”

Website: www.imugene.com