Oslo, 14 August 2013 - PCI Biotech (PCIB) the Norwegian biopharmaceutical company, reported today that results from ex vivo studies with PCI Biotech's proprietary technology photochemical internalization (PCI) at University Hospital Zurich have been accepted for publication in European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics in an article with the title 'Photochemical targeting of antigens to the cytosol for stimulation of MHC class-I-restricted T-cell responses'. The article is expected to be published late in August (print) and early in September (online).
The study in mice shows that response parameters considered important for successful autologous (ex vivo) therapeutic vaccination in mice are significantly improved by PCI-treatment. According to the researchers this study in mice provides proof of principle for the use of PCI-mediated immunization and has revealed the feasibility of using the PCI technology to improve the effect of autologous vaccination.
Per Walday, CEO of PCI Biotech said: "This study shows that the PCI technology has the potential to influence and improve processes that are considered important in therapeutic vaccination. A strong cytotoxic T-cell response is considered key for successful therapeutic vaccination and the study points to the potential of PCI in this area. We have already started the work to find partners for the further development of PCI in vaccination"
The researchers tested the ability of PCI to enhance the vaccine induced stimulation of so-called cytotoxic T-cells in an animal model for autologous (ex vivo) vaccination. Cytotoxic T-cells are immune cells that are considered to be of primary importance for killing tumour cells after therapeutic cancer vaccination. The results of the study show that the use of the PCI technology substantially increased the amount of antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cells in the animals, an effect that could be very important for improving the efficacy of several different approaches under development for therapeutic cancer vaccination.
About therapeutic cancer vaccination
The potential of therapeutic cancer vaccination - vaccines that treat cancer by inducing or strengthening an immune response - has long been recognised by the pharmaceutical industry. The past few years there has been a renewed focus on such vaccines, and the first vaccine was approved by FDA in 2010. Since then, pharmaceutical companies have announced a large number of development milestones for new therapeutic cancer vaccines, and the market for such vaccines is projected to grow to a value of approximately $8 billion by 2019. Thus, this is a very promising area; however there are still important unsolved issues and some companies have recently reported failed clinical studies. One important issue is that vaccination with protein or peptide antigens often fails to generate the strong cytotoxic responses that are needed for successful therapeutic vaccination. An important reason for this probably is insufficient access of such antigens to the correct machinery inside the antigen presenting cells. Antigens typically enter these cells through endocytosis and PCI may be utilised to deliver these antigens to the immunisation machinery that is responsible for the sought-after cytotoxic immune response; through so-called MHC class-I-restricted antigen presentation.
About PCI Biotech
PCI Biotech is a Norwegian biopharmaceutical company developing a novel light directed treatment system based on its patented photochemical internalisation (PCI) technology. Originating from world leading research at the Norwegian Radium Hospital, the PCI method involves first injecting the photosensitiser Amphinex® and thereafter the therapeutic drug to be specifically delivered to the diseased cells. When the diseased cells are illuminated the cells' endosomes are ruptured to allow successful intracellular delivery of the drug.
PCI can enhance the delivery of all molecules taken into the cell by endocytosis. This includes most types of macromolecules, drugs carried by antibodies or nanoparticles, as well as some small molecule drugs.
The PCI technology is also a versatile and innovative vaccination platform, which may specifically increase the cytotoxic T-cell response of vaccines. This is particularly important in therapeutic vaccination, when the immune system needs to recognise and destroy diseased cells (e.g. virus infected cells and cancer).
PCI Biotech follows a strategy to create value by improving the effect both of existing cancer drugs and by realizing the large potential in new therapeutics, including therapeutic vaccines.
For more information visit: www.pcibiotech.com
Contact information:
PCI Biotech Holding ASA, Strandveien 55, N-1366 Lysaker
Per Walday, CEO, pw@pcibiotech.no, Mobile: +47 917 93 429
Bernt-Olav Røttingsnes, CFO, bor@pcibiotech.no, Mobile: +47 913 47 021