BioVaxys and Sona Nanotech Enter Research Collaboration
- Collaboration combines two promising cancer treatment technologies: DPX immune platform and THT therapy
- Preclinical studies showed 100% response rate in immunotherapy-resistant tumors
- Research costs covered by Giacomantonio Immuno-Oncology Research Group, minimizing financial burden
- Co-ownership agreement for any developed therapeutics ensures shared benefits
- DPX platform has proven safety and efficacy in multiple Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies
- Research is still in early stages with no guaranteed success
- Timeline for potential commercialization not specified
- Clinical trials and regulatory approvals still required
Insights
BioVaxys and Sona Nanotech combine complementary cancer immunotherapy platforms to potentially enhance treatment for resistant tumors while sharing development rights.
This research collaboration between BioVaxys and Sona Nanotech represents a strategic combination of complementary technological platforms in the cancer immunotherapy space. BioVaxys contributes its DPX™ Immune Educating Platform, which has demonstrated proven clinical utility across multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies in both oncology and infectious disease applications with documented safety profiles. Sona brings its proprietary Gold Nanorod (GNR) technology used in their Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy (THT) for treating solid tumors.
The collaboration is structured with significant capital efficiency. Research costs will be covered by the Giacomantonio Immuno-Oncology Research Group at Dalhousie University, with both companies contributing their respective technologies. Any novel therapeutic candidates developed through this program will be co-owned and co-prosecuted by both companies, with plans to establish a commercialization agreement before initiating any Phase 1 clinical studies.
The scientific rationale focuses on two approaches: first, evaluating DPX's immune stimulatory properties administered alongside THT; second, using DPX as a carrier for novel neoantigens expressed following THT treatment. Supporting data from Sona shows their GNR-based THT achieved 100
The BioVaxys-Sona collaboration addresses a fundamental challenge in modern cancer treatment: improving responses in tumors resistant to current immunotherapies. This represents a significant unmet medical need across multiple solid tumor types including melanoma, colon and breast cancer - all areas where Sona has generated promising preclinical data.
The mechanism of action merits attention. Sona's THT uses infrared light absorbed by biocompatible Gold Nanorods to deliver targeted heat to tumors, causing cancer-specific cell death that activates immune responses. The key finding presented at the 19th International Canadian Melanoma Conference demonstrates THT activates systemic immunity in cancers known to be resistant to modern immunotherapies. Most notably, in an immunotherapy-resistant CT-26 colon cancer model, THT followed by previously ineffective PD-1 inhibition demonstrated 100
BioVaxys' DPX platform complements this approach through its non-aqueous, non-systemic delivery system that facilitates antigen presentation to lymph nodes - critical for generating strong T cell and B cell responses. The platform's ability to incorporate various bioactive molecules (mRNA, peptides, proteins, virus-like particles) offers versatility for cancer antigen delivery.
By combining these technologies, the collaboration aims to enhance THT's efficacy through improved immune presentation of tumor neoantigens - unique proteins arising from cancer cell changes that drive anti-tumor immunity. This approach could potentially convert "cold" tumors (immunologically unresponsive) into "hot" tumors that respond to treatment, addressing a key limitation of current immunotherapy approaches.
Carman Giacomantonio, MD, Chief Medical Officer ("CMO") for Sona Nanotech Inc., commented, "Looking beyond our approaching first-in-human Early Feasibility Study clinical trial for our THT cancer therapy, Sona continues to conduct research to build our pipeline of programs to fully exploit the potential of our GNR technology platform. To that end, we're pleased to enter this research collaboration with BioVaxys whose DPX technology provides a unique delivery system that better presents antigens to the immune system. We believe that DPX, with its immune stimulating properties and antigen presentation capabilities, could be an ideal carrier for the neo-antigens that Sona's THT enables, thereby accelerating THT's efficacy and so we look forward to working with the BioVaxys team to quickly assess the potential for technology synergies."
"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to evaluate synergies between our DPX platform and Sona's THT and GNR technologies, as our collaboration is ideal for advancing the highly promising applications of our respective technologies," says Kenneth Kovan, President and Chief Operating Officer at BioVaxys. "With Sona's exciting study data and the clinical trial data we have with DPX it's conceivable that our collaboration could lead to a new and even better treatment for immunotherapy-resistant solid tumors."
The collaboration between BioVaxys and Sona will evaluate the immune stimulatory properties of DPX (without an antigen cargo) administered together with THT, as a characteristic of DPX is that it helps prime the innate immune system which in turn can activate and strengthen the adaptive immune response. The collaboration will also evaluate the combination use of THT together with a DPX formulation as a carrier for novel neoantigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells following immunotherapy, such as with THT. Neoantigens are unique proteins that are not present in healthy tissues that arise from changes in cancer cells and play a crucial role in stimulating anti-tumor immune response. Immunotherapy such as THT can trigger these tumor cell changes and the expression of neoantigens, so packaging a tumor neoantigen in DPX for presentation to the immune system is anticipated to accelerate THT's efficacy.
The research studies based on the BioVaxys and Sona technologies will be conducted at
Each company will contribute their respective technologies for the study with the research costs covered by the Giacomantonio Immuno-Oncology Research Group. Any novel candidate therapeutic developed in this program will be co-owned and co-prosecuted by BioVaxys and Sona, with the parties planning to enter into a commercialization agreement for a vaccine clinical candidate prior to the initiation of any Phase 1 study.
Sona's current focus for advanced biomedical applications using its biocompatible GNR platform technology with its THT therapy aims to shrink cancerous tumors for certain solid cancers and in so doing trigger a systematic immune response to eliminate both treated and distant, untreated metastases. Sona's GNRs are uniquely manufactured without the use of CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), eliminating the toxicity risks associated with the use of other GNR technologies in medical applications.
In a preclinical study presented at the 19th International Canadian Melanoma Conference in
BioVaxys' DPX™ technology is a patented delivery platform that can incorporate a range of bioactive molecules, such as mRNA/polynucleotides, peptides/proteins, virus-like particles, and small molecules, to produce targeted, long-lasting immune responses enabled by various formulated components. The DPX platform, which is non-aqueous and non-systemic, facilitates antigen delivery to regional lymph nodes and has been demonstrated to induce robust and durable T cell and B cell responses in pre-clinical and clinical studies for both cancer and infectious disease. The DPX platform has been proven in multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies across a range of different antigens in oncology and infectious disease applications, and has demonstrated excellent safety and tolerability.
A study conducted by Hakimeh Ebrahimi-Nik, DVM, PhD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology, and presented December by BioVaxys at the Personalized Cancer Vaccine Summit in
About BioVaxys Technology Corp.
BioVaxys Technology Corp. (www.biovaxys.com) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patient lives with novel immunotherapies based on its DPX™ immune-educating technology platform and its HapTenix© 'neoantigen' tumor cell construct platform, for treating cancers, infectious disease, antigen desensitization for food allergy, and other immunological diseases. Through a differentiated mechanism of action, the DPX™ platform delivers instruction to the immune system to generate a specific, robust, and persistent immune response. The Company's clinical stage pipeline includes maveropepimut-S (MVP-S), based on the DPX™ platform, and is in Phase IIB clinical development for advanced Relapsed-Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) and platinum resistant Ovarian Cancer. MVP-S delivers antigenic peptides from survivin, a well-recognized cancer antigen commonly overexpressed in advanced cancers, and also delivers an innate immune activator and a universal CD4 T cell helper peptide. MVP-S has been well tolerated and has demonstrated defined clinical benefit in multiple cancer indications as well as the activation of a targeted and sustained, survivin-specific anti-tumor immune response. BioVaxys is also developing DPX™+SurMAGE, a dual-targeted immunotherapy combining antigenic peptides for both the survivin and MAGE-A9 cancer proteins to elicit immune responses to these two distinct cancer antigens simultaneously, DPX™-RSV for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, DPX+rPA for peanut allergy prophylaxis, and BVX-0918, a personalized immunotherapeutic vaccine using its proprietary HapTenix© 'neoantigen' tumor cell construct platform for refractive late-stage ovarian cancer. BioVaxys common shares are listed on the CSE under the stock symbol 'BIOV', trade on the Frankfurt Bourse (FRA: 5LB), and in the US (OTCQB: BVAXF). For more information, visit www.biovaxys.com and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
BIOVAXYS TECHNOLOGY CORP. CONTACT:
James Passin, CEO
Phone: +1 740 358 0555
About Sona Nanotech Inc.
Sona Nanotech is developing Targeted Hyperthermia™, a photothermal cancer therapy, which uses therapeutic heat to treat solid cancer tumors. The heat is delivered to tumors by infrared light that is absorbed by Sona's gold nanorods in the tumor and re-emitted as heat. Therapeutic heat (42-48°C) stimulates the immune system, shrinks tumors, inactivates cancer stem cells, and increases tumor perfusion - thus enabling drugs to reach all tumor compartments more effectively. Targeted Hyperthermia promises to be safe, effective, minimally invasive, competitive in cost, and a valuable adjunct to drug therapy and other cancer treatments.
Sona has developed multiple proprietary methods for the manufacture of gold nanoparticles which it uses for the development of both cancer therapies and diagnostic testing platforms. Sona Nanotech's gold nanorod particles are cetyltrimethylammonium ("CTAB") free, eliminating the toxicity risks associated with the use of other gold nanorod technologies in medical applications.
SONA NANOTECH, INC. CONTACT:
David Regan, CEO
+1-902-442-0653
david@sonanano.com
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information
This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved, and include statements about the potential benefits of combining the technologies of each company and the potential for future clinical studies. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, primarily the assumption that BioVaxys and Sona will be successful in developing and testing vaccines, that, while considered reasonable by the Companies, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies including, primarily but without limitation, the risk that BioVaxys' or Sona's vaccines will not prove to be effective and/ or will not receive the required regulatory approvals. With regards to BioVaxys' and Sona's respective businesses, there are a number of risks that could affect the development of their biotechnology products, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital to fund clinical trials, their lack of operating history, uncertainty about whether their products will complete the long, complex and expensive clinical trial and regulatory approval process for approval of new drugs necessary for marketing approval, uncertainty about whether BioVaxys' autologous cell vaccine immunotherapy can be developed to produce safe and effective products and, if so, whether its vaccine products will be commercially accepted and profitable, the expenses, delays and uncertainties and complications typically encountered by development stage biopharmaceutical businesses, financial and development obligations under license arrangements in order to protect its rights to its products and technologies, obtaining and protecting new intellectual property rights and avoiding infringement to third parties and their dependence on manufacturing by third parties.
The parties do not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
Investors are encouraged to read BioVaxys and Sona continuous disclosure documents and audited annual consolidated financial statements which are available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.
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SOURCE BioVaxys Technology Corp.
FAQ
What is the purpose of the BioVaxys (BVAXF) and Sona Nanotech collaboration?
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