The biotechnology firms BioVaxys Technology Corp. and Sona Nanotech Inc. have entered into a research agreement to develop next-generation cancer therapeutics by combining their proprietary technologies, the companies announced today.
The collaboration will integrate BioVaxys' DPX Immune Educating Platform with Sona's Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy (THT), potentially creating a novel approach to cancer treatment that leverages both immune stimulation and targeted tumor destruction.
Combining Complementary Technologies
Sona's THT is a photothermal cancer therapy that uses infrared light to heat and treat solid tumors. The heat is delivered precisely to cancer cells using the company's proprietary Gold Nanorod (GNR) technology, which has demonstrated the ability to elicit strong immune responses in preclinical studies.
BioVaxys will contribute its DPX platform, a non-aqueous delivery system designed to prime the innate immune system and generate durable T cell and B cell responses. The platform has shown promise in multiple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies across various oncology and infectious disease applications.
"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," said Dr. Carman Giacomantonio, Chief Medical Officer for Sona Nanotech.
Research Focus and Objectives
The collaboration will pursue two primary research directions. First, researchers will assess the immune-stimulatory properties of the DPX platform without antigen cargo when administered alongside THT. This approach aims to determine whether DPX can enhance the immune response already triggered by Sona's hyperthermia therapy.
Second, the teams will investigate using THT in combination with a DPX formulation as a carrier for neoantigens—proteins that arise from genetic mutations in cancer cells and are crucial for stimulating anti-tumor immune responses. These neoantigens are expressed on tumor cell surfaces following immunotherapy treatments.
A key advantage of Sona's GNR technology is its unique manufacturing process that avoids cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a compound that poses toxicity risks in medical applications. This makes Sona's approach potentially safer for clinical use compared to other gold nanorod technologies.
Research Setting and Ownership Structure
The studies will be conducted at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, under the direction of Dr. Giacomantonio, who holds positions in the Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery and Department of Pathology, along with Dr. Barry Kennedy from the Giacomantonio Immuno-Oncology Research Group.
The Giacomantonio research group will cover the expenses associated with the research program, allowing both companies to advance their technologies without significant additional financial burden.
According to the agreement, any novel therapeutic candidates developed through this collaboration will be jointly owned and prosecuted by BioVaxys and Sona. The companies plan to establish a commercialization agreement for any vaccine clinical candidates before initiating Phase 1 clinical trials.
Scientific Foundation and Previous Results
Sona's approach has already shown promising results in preclinical studies. The company's research team confirmed that its GNR-based THT causes cancer-specific cell death that activates a strong immune response. These findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology.
BioVaxys' DPX technology has demonstrated the ability to incorporate various bioactive molecules, including mRNA/polynucleotides, peptides/proteins, virus-like particles, and small molecules. The platform facilitates antigen delivery to regional lymph nodes and has been shown to induce robust immune responses in both preclinical and clinical studies.
Potential Clinical Impact
This collaboration represents a significant step in the development of combination immunotherapies for cancer treatment. By merging technologies that both stimulate immune responses and directly target tumors, the partnership aims to create treatments that could potentially address both primary tumors and distant metastases.
The approach aligns with the growing trend in oncology toward combination therapies that attack cancer through multiple mechanisms simultaneously, potentially overcoming the resistance that often develops with single-modality treatments.
As the research progresses, healthcare professionals and patients may eventually benefit from new therapeutic options that could offer improved efficacy against difficult-to-treat solid tumors and metastatic disease.
