HERSHEY, Pa. and ROCKVILLE, Md., May 13, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. ("ITI"), a privately-held biotechnology company developing vaccines based on its proprietary LAMP technology, today announces that the United States Department of Defense has awarded the company a $1.2M grant for the development of its ARA-LAMP-vax technology against peanut allergies.
According to the terms of the grant, the company will utilize the funds to manufacture its ARA-LAMP-vax and perform biodistribution and toxicology studies in animal models to conclude the company's pre-clinical work and prepare its peanut allergy vaccine for a Phase 1 safety trial in humans, all according to an agreed-upon pre-IND plan with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
These studies, combined with ITI's previous results that demonstrated ARA-LAMP-vax may prevent anaphylaxis by decreasing sIgE and Th2-associated cytokine release in mouse models of peanut allergy, will be included in a data package to be sent to the FDA to support the initiation of the Phase 1 trial. Ultimately, ITI intends to study the safety and efficacy of ARA-LAMP-vax in peanut allergic individuals, including children, with the eventual goal of seeking FDA approval for the treatment of moderate to very severe peanut allergic individuals.
"This grant underscores the importance of finding a viable and permanent solution to peanut allergies," said Teri Heiland, Ph.D., Vice President of R&D, ITI. "The fact that peanut allergies are pervasive in our society and potentially deadly has been brought to the attention of the DoD, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to help discover and provide a solution."
About Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc.
Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. (ITI) is a Hershey, PA-based, privately held, clinical stage biotechnology company developing vaccines based on the LAMP technology platform, which was exclusively licensed from Johns Hopkins University. The LAMP-vax vaccine platform aims to increase the immune response to nucleic acid vaccines and simplify vaccine design and delivery for safer, more cost-effective therapies. ITI's LAMP constructs have been validated in human clinical trials for cancer and have been studied in areas including allergy and infectious disease, while internally ITI is focused on developing allergy therapies. Currently, the company is pursuing three main allergy programs:
- ASP 4070 (Formerly known as JRC-LAMP-vax) - Japanese Red Cedar Vaccine - An innovative potential solution for the over 35 million sufferers of Japanese red cedar pollinosis - Phase I, currently partnered with Astellas Pharma;
- An analogous vaccine formulation will be developed as a vaccine to treat Mountain Cedar in the US.
- ARA-LAMP-vax Peanut Allergy Vaccine - A therapeutic vaccine in development, with a goal of mitigating peanut allergy - Beginning Phase I in late 2015/early 2016;
- Multi Allergen Vaccines (Product Concepts) - Allergy vaccine formulation concepts that would aim to address the major categories of allergies of concern Worldwide - Under study & development.
For more information about ITI and LAMP Technology, please visit www.immunomix.com .
Jules Abraham JQA Partners, Inc. 917-885-7378
