GVAX is a cancer vaccine composed of whole tumor cells genetically modified to secrete the immune stimulatory cytokine, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and then irradiated to prevent further cell division. The product exists as both autologous (patient specific) and allogeneic (non-patient specific) therapy. [1]
GVAX was developed around 1993 by Glenn Dranoff, a cancer researcher then at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. [2] The therapy was initially developed by a public gene therapy company called Somatix, which was acquired in 1997 by Cell Genesys. [3] That company took the vaccine into Phase III trials in 2004 however these trials were halted in 2008 due to an apparent lack of efficacy. [4] Cell Genesys continued development, however in August 2009, due to funding difficulties, the company announced that it was merging with BioSante Pharmaceuticals. [5] In 2013 BioSante sold the GVAx program to Aduro Biotech, a company based in Berkeley, California. [6] In 2020 Aduro Biotech merged with Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. to form Chinook Therapeutics. [7]
Aduro Biotech is currently in Phase II with GVAX in pancreatic cancer, where the company is also trialing a combination of GVAX with a PD-1 inhibitor. [8]
GVAX is a cancer vaccine composed of whole tumor cells genetically modified to secrete the immune stimulatory cytokine, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and then irradiated to prevent further cell division. The product exists as both autologous (patient specific) and allogeneic (non-patient specific) therapy. [1]
GVAX was developed around 1993 by Glenn Dranoff, a cancer researcher then at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. [2] The therapy was initially developed by a public gene therapy company called Somatix, which was acquired in 1997 by Cell Genesys. [3] That company took the vaccine into Phase III trials in 2004 however these trials were halted in 2008 due to an apparent lack of efficacy. [4] Cell Genesys continued development, however in August 2009, due to funding difficulties, the company announced that it was merging with BioSante Pharmaceuticals. [5] In 2013 BioSante sold the GVAx program to Aduro Biotech, a company based in Berkeley, California. [6] In 2020 Aduro Biotech merged with Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. to form Chinook Therapeutics. [7]
Aduro Biotech is currently in Phase II with GVAX in pancreatic cancer, where the company is also trialing a combination of GVAX with a PD-1 inhibitor. [8]