License of Ichor's TriGrid Electroporation Device
Embargoed Release: 07:00hrs, Thursday 16th July 2009
GB00B39J5N63
Scancell Holdings Plc
(`Scancell Holdings' or the `Company')
Scancell Licenses TriGridâ„¢ Electroporation Device
from Ichor Medical Systems
Scancell Holdings Plc, the parent company of Scancell Limited (`Scancell'), the
developer of therapeutic cancer vaccines based on its patented ImmunoBody®
platform, is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with Ichor Medical
Systems (`Ichor') to use Ichor's TriGridâ„¢ electroporation device for the
delivery of SCIB1, Scancell's innovative ImmunoBody® DNA vaccine for melanoma.
In vivo electroporation is a promising means of enhancing the potency of DNA
vaccines. Ichor's TriGridâ„¢ Delivery System uses electroporation to dramatically
increase the intracellular delivery of the DNA vaccine at the site of
administration, enhancing potency over 100 times compared to conventional
methods of delivery. In patients Ichor's advanced, push-button electroporation
system minimises operator error and ensures the safe, rapid, effective and
reproducible administration of DNA from one patient to another. Scancell is
confident that TriGridâ„¢ will provide the most effective delivery system for its
SCIB1 melanoma vaccine as it enters the first phase of its clinical trials.
Under the agreement Ichor will supply the TriGridâ„¢ device for Scancell's
forthcoming pre-clinical and clinical studies with SCIB1 and has given Scancell
an Option to license TriGridâ„¢ for commercial use on payment of certain
undisclosed milestones and royalties. The Option may be exercised at any time
over the next five years.
In return Ichor has been granted options to subscribe for Scancell shares, at
the subscription price paid during Scancell's next scheduled round of funding,
as follows: on regulatory approval to start clinical trials in the UK, 1% of
the issued share capital; on starting the first Phase II clinical trial, 2% of
the issued share capital and; on completing the first Phase II clinical trial,
2% of the issued share capital.
Scancell's first cancer vaccine SCIB1 is scheduled to start clinical trials in
2010.
David Evans, chairman of Scancell, commented:
"Scancell is delighted to be collaborating with Ichor on SCIB1. We believe that
the use of TriGridâ„¢ to deliver SCIB1 in the forthcoming clinical trials
programme will optimise our vaccine's therapeutic potential in melanoma
patients."
Robert Bernard, president and CEO of Ichor stated:
"The agreement with Scancell provides an excellent opportunity for Ichor.
Scancell's unique ImmunoBody® vaccine platform is capable of enhancing immune
response by both quantitative and qualitative measures. We look forward to
clinical testing of the SCIB1 melanoma vaccine candidate as an initial
demonstration of the therapeutic potential of Scancell's ImmunoBody® vaccines
administered with Ichor's TriGridâ„¢ delivery technology."
The Directors of the issuer accept responsibility for this announcement.
-ENDS-
For Further Information:
Professor Lindy Durrant Scancell Holdings Plc + 44 207 245 1100
Adam Reynolds/Vikki Krause Hansard Group + 44 7515 922906
Ross Andrews Zeus Capital + 44 (0)161 831 1512
About Scancell
Scancell is developing novel therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of cancer
and infectious diseases based on its groundbreaking ImmunoBody® technology
platform. Scancell's first cancer vaccine SCIB1 is being developed for the
treatment of melanoma and will enter clinical trials in early 2010.
Treating cancer by vaccination allows small non-toxic doses of a vaccine to be
administered to a patient, stimulating an immune response. Effective cancer
vaccines need to target dendritic cells to stimulate both parts of the cellular
immune system; the helper cell system where inflammation is stimulated at the
tumour site; and the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte or CTL response where immune system
cells are primed to recognise and kill specific cells.
A limitation of many cancer vaccines currently in development is that they
cannot specifically target dendritic cells in vivo. Several groups have
demonstrated successful vaccination by growing dendritic cells ex vivo, pulsing
them with tumour antigens and re-infusing them. However, this procedure is
patient specific, time consuming and expensive. Scancell has developed its
breakthrough patent protected ImmunoBody® technology to overcome these
limitations.
An ImmunoBody® is a DNA vaccine encoding a human antibody or fusion protein
engineered to express helper cell and CTL epitopes from tumour antigens
over-expressed by cancer cells. Antibodies are ideal vectors for carrying T
cell epitopes from tumour antigens as they can effectively target dendritic
cells via their Fc receptors, allowing efficient stimulation of high avidity
and high frequency helper and CTL responses.
The Immunobody® technology can be adapted to provide the basis for treating any
tumour type and may also be of potential utility in the development of vaccines
against hepatitis, HIV and other chronic infectious diseases.
About Ichor
Ichor Medical Systems' TriGridâ„¢ Delivery System is the first integrated and
fully automated system for electroporation-mediated DNA administration. Ichor,
a privately-held biotech company based in San Diego, CA, is collaborating with
partners on three continents in a wide range of studies to test the TriGridâ„¢ as
an enabling platform for delivery of DNA drugs and vaccines to treat diseases
such as pandemic flu, hepatitis, HIV, melanoma, multiple sclerosis, and others.
The TriGridâ„¢ is also being tested by the U.S. military as an efficient means of
delivering anti-bioterrorism agents. Ichor's current research partners include
Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Bayhill Therapeutics, Genexine, the
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Pasteur Institute,
Pharmexa-Epimmune, Rockefeller University, The Scripps Research Institute, the
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the
Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease
Organization (VIDO).