Vidac Pharma to Explore Potential Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson in Intratumoral Oncology
Key Insights
Vidac Pharma Holdings (search) will meet with Johnson & Johnson representatives at Basel Launch (search)'s "Beyond the Needle" event on November 23-24, 2025, to discuss potential collaboration in intratumoral oncology.
The clinical-stage company's novel approach targets the VDAC-HK2 complex (search) to modulate tumor microenvironment and reactivate apoptosis in cancer (search) cells without affecting normal tissue.
Vidac's lead candidate VDA-1102 has demonstrated effectiveness against advanced Actinic Keratosis (search) and shown positive interim results in Phase 2 trials for Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (search).
Clinical-stage oncology company Vidac Pharma Holdings (search) Plc announced that its leadership team will participate in a high-level industry event where they have been invited to meet with senior Johnson & Johnson representatives to explore potential collaboration opportunities in intratumoral oncology.
The meeting is scheduled to take place during Basel Launch (search)'s "Beyond the Needle: Building the Future of Intratumoral Oncology" event in Basel, Switzerland, on November 23-24, 2025. Vidac Pharma's Chairman and CEO Dr. Max Herzberg and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Eyal Breitbart will engage in dedicated one-on-one discussions with Johnson & Johnson's senior group to examine the evolving landscape of intratumoral oncology and explore possible collaboration models in developing novel therapeutic modalities.
Novel Metabolic Targeting Approach
Vidac Pharma has developed a first-in-class approach that targets the unique metabolism of cancer (search) cells by modulating the VDAC-HK2 complex (search), a central regulator of cancer cell metabolism and survival. The company's technology modulates the tumor microenvironment to become pro-immune and reactivates apoptosis within cancer cells while leaving surrounding normal tissue unaffected.
"Vidac Pharma's participation in this high-level forum highlights the growing interest in our novel mode of action, which modulates the tumor microenvironment to become pro-immune and reactivates apoptosis within cancer (search) cells," said Dr. Max Herzberg. "Our upcoming dialogue with Johnson & Johnson will present our belief that our technology has the potential to complement ongoing efforts in intratumoral cancer therapy, and our looking forward to exploring potential new avenues of collaboration with innovative partners across the industry."
Clinical Progress and Pipeline Development
The company's lead drug candidate, VDA-1102, has demonstrated clinical efficacy in treating advanced Actinic Keratosis (search) (AK). Additionally, interim results from Phase 2 trials in Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (search) (CTCL) have yielded positive effects, showcasing the potential of Vidac's metabolic targeting approach across multiple oncologic and onco-dermatologic diseases.
Vidac Pharma's therapeutic strategy focuses on modifying the hyper-glycolytic tumor microenvironment by targeting the overexpression and wrong anchoring of the Hexokinase 2 (search) metabolic checkpoint (HK2 (search)) in cancer (search) cells. This approach aims to renormalize the tumor microenvironment and selectively provoke programmed cell death in cancer cells.
Industry Context and Strategic Implications
The "Beyond the Needle" event, organized by Basel Launch (search), brings together leading innovators, investors, and pharmaceutical executives to explore emerging technologies that enable precise intratumoral delivery and localized cancer (search) treatment. The invitation for dedicated discussions with Johnson & Johnson underscores the pharmaceutical giant's interest in innovative approaches to cancer therapy.
Vidac Pharma continues to advance its clinical and preclinical pipeline with the goal of transforming how solid tumors (search) are treated. The potential collaboration with Johnson & Johnson could provide significant resources and expertise to accelerate the development of the company's novel therapeutic modalities in the competitive oncology landscape.