Infinitopes to showcase cancer vaccine breakthroughs at SITC

Insight into double-blind, phase i/ii clinical trial for oesophageal cancer

Infinitopes, an integrated cancer biotech firm, will present its pioneering cancer vaccine development at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2024 in Houston, US, from 6-10 November.

The Oxford-based company will showcase three posters, including one recognised as a ‘top 100’ presentation.

Jonathan Kwok, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Infinitopes, said: “Using our integrated ‘right targets, right vectors, right patients, right time’ approach, we aim to address the unmet clinical need for durably effective, accessible therapies, to save lives by preventing or significantly delaying disease recurrence for cancer patients.”

Infinitopes’ lead candidate, ITOP1, is an ‘off-the-shelf’ vaccine designed to prevent disease recurrence in patients with surgically resectable cancers.

The company’s proprietary vector delivery system reliably triggers durable T-cell protection, halting or delaying tumour progression in preclinical models without checkpoint inhibitor co-treatment.

Supported by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and an oversubscribed £12.8 million seed financing in April 2024, Infinitopes utilises its AI/ML Precision ImmunomicsTM platform to identify optimal cancer-specific antigens.

This technology advances therapeutics for multiple cancer indications.

Kwok highlighted, “We combine our deep knowledge of the field of immunology with our uniquely sensitive AI/ML Precision ImmunomicsTM platform to identify and select optimal synergistic tumour targets, alongside engineering safe and effective proprietary vector delivery systems, designed to reliably stimulate lasting T-cell protection.”

Infinitopes is set to begin a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase I/IIa clinical trial of ITOP1 in the first half of 2025. The VISTA study will treat patients with oesophageal cancer at four UK NHS university cancer centres.

“The VISTA study, commencing H1’25, will open to oesophageal cancer patients most likely to positively respond, at the moment of their cancer journey where long-term protection is anticipated to be most likely,” added Kwok.

The company is also seeking commercial collaboration partners and new investors for its Series A round, aiming to further its mission of providing durable cancer therapies.