TrueMed supports Vaccentis with cancer vaccine

(CONNECT) Vaccentis has signed a letter of intent with TrueMed. The Zurich-based company, which focuses on the development of tumor vaccines, announced that the aim is to establish a strategic partnership to advance the strategic and operational development of Vaccentis' most promising vaccine candidate VCC-001 and its platform technology.

According to Vaccentis, VCC-001 is "a promising, individualised, therapeutic vaccine for the adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma". Arie Koren and Shmulik Berkovich, the co-CEOs and founders of TrueMed, see it as "a promising immunotherapeutic approach with enormous potential". With their experience in market launch and commercialisation and a large network of investors, they hope to "bring the vaccine to patients as quickly as possible".

TrueMed sees itself as a local partner for global innovators and specialises in launching and marketing new therapies. The support of this sparring partner "offers valuable opportunities to further accelerate the development of our product candidate VCC-001 and our tumor vaccine platform technology," explain Vaccentis CEO Martin Munte and board member Patrik Grandits.

The Zurich-based biotech company is competing with pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Biontech for the first vaccine against cancer. Ingrid Rauter, Head of Research and Development at Vaccentis, told Handelszeitung that her protein-based tumor vaccine could potentially be approved in the USA and Europe by 2027 or 2028. Moderna and Biontech are working on cancer vaccines based on mRNA. Phase 3 trials are currently underway for both. Biontech expects approval before 2030. Moderna will probably also have to observe whether the cancer recurs for several years after a Phase 3 trial, which may be successfully completed at the end of 2025 at the earliest. ce/mm