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Pharma Tech Outlook | Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Minaris will be in charge of the MVX-ONCO-2 capsules' GMP processing, freezing, and delivery to clinical sites.
FREMONT, CA: MaxiVAX SA, a private Swiss clinical-stage biotech firm producing new anti-cancer vaccines, and Minaris Regenerative Medicine GmbH (Minaris), a leading contract production and manufacturing service provider for the cell and gene therapy industry, have signed a manufacturing agreement for MVX-ONCO-2, cell-based immunotherapy for the treatment of various cancers such as chordoma, head and neck, and solid tumors.
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"We are excited to support MaxiVAX with their innovative product," said Dusan Kosijer, CEO of the European operations, Minaris. "Their unique approach on cancer immunotherapies addresses a significant unmet medical need for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors."
The MVX-ONCO-2 comprises two parts:
1. Biocompatible capsules containing a genetically engineered cell line that secretes a potent immune booster called GM-CSF (Granulocyte-Macrophage Stimulating Factor).
2. Irradiated autologous patient tumor cells that function as tumor antigens. The encapsulated GM-CSF secreting cells are inserted subcutaneously at the site of tumor-cell vaccination to cause a successful anti-tumor response against the patient's own tumor cells.
"We are confident that our partnership with Minaris will accelerate MaxiVAXs breakthrough cancer immunotherapy development from clinical trial to market success," said Ksenija Pavletic, an executive board member, MaxiVAX. "Minaris has the expertise and industry experience to enable the delivery of MaxiVAXs innovative lead product MVX-ONCO-2 to the patients stringently and reliably."
Minaris will be in charge of the MVX-ONCO-2 capsules' GMP processing, freezing, and delivery to clinical sites. At the clinical centers, autologous patient tumor cells can be collected. The production arrangement concerns method improvement for scale-up and technology transfer, with the aim of providing Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in the EU first, and then the U.S. later. Services will be given at Minaris' European headquarters in Ottobrunn, Germany, near Munich.
"Our mission is to develop life changing therapies. It can only be achieved if we manage to effectively deliver such therapies to our patients. In Minaris, we have found a partner that will not only help us in this aspect, but also in developing integrated manufacturing solutions and provide the appropriate infrastructure to support our future commercial production both in the U.S. and in Europe," added Julien Grogg, VP Technology, MaxiVAX.
The transition of the manufacturing process to an accomplished CMO for the production of commercial-grade MVX-ONCO-2 also fulfills the first milestone of MaxiVAX's European Commission H2020-funded project MaxONCO. MaxiVAX launched a two-and-a-half-year project under the SME Instrument Phase 2 H2020 Program in January 2020, for which it was awarded 2,785,300 Euro. The SME Instrument helps high-potential small to medium-sized companies create and introduce new innovative goods, technologies, and business models to market to spur economic growth.
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