1. About
ImmvaRx
ImmvaRx
is a biotechnology startup developing a comprehensive treatment platform for a
major class of cancers: adenocarcinomas.
Adenocarcinomas
represent approximately 40% of all new cancer cases and deaths in the US and
roughly 50% of all treatment dollars.
ImmvaRx
is the sole owner of US patents 6,166,176 and 6,727,080 for Labyrinthin, a cell
surface marker for adenocarcinomas. These patents are granted in the US and
granted or pending in key industrialized countries.
2. About
adenocarcinomas
Lung,
colon, breast, pancreas, prostate, ovary and stomach are the top 7 adenocarcinoma
sites in the US. While these contain other cancer types, at least ⅔ of
all cancer tumors arising in these sites express Labyrinthin and are therefore
adenocarcinomas.
Annually,
in the United States,
adenocarcinomas represent more than 40% of the 1.4 million new cancer cases and
560,000 cancer deaths (2007 numbers from www.cancer.org):
|
2007 cancer.org statistics United States |
New incidents |
Deaths |
Deaths Incidents |
|
Lung |
213,380 |
160,390 |
75% |
|
Colon |
153,760 |
52,180 |
34% |
|
Breast |
180,510 |
40,910 |
23% |
|
Pancreas |
37,170 |
33,370 |
90% |
|
Prostate |
218,890 |
27,050 |
12% |
|
Ovary |
22,430 |
15,280 |
68% |
|
Stomach |
21,260 |
11,210 |
53% |
|
All cancer sites |
1,444,920 |
559,650 |
39% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites |
564,933 |
226,927 |
40% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites as % of all cancer
sites |
39% |
41% |
|
Annually,
in the developed countries,
adenocarcinomas represent more than 40% of the 5.4 million new cancer cases and
2.9 million cancer deaths (2007 numbers from www.cancer.org):
|
2007 cancer.org statistics Developed Countries |
New incidents |
Deaths |
Deaths Incidents |
|
Lung |
738,883 |
639,382 |
87% |
|
Colon |
723,393 |
341,254 |
47% |
|
Breast |
679,682 |
203,528 |
30% |
|
Pancreas |
146,812 |
150,690 |
103% |
|
Prostate |
566,841 |
143,834 |
25% |
|
Ovary |
103,332 |
66,925 |
65% |
|
Stomach |
338,307 |
230,838 |
68% |
|
All cancer sites |
5,426,659 |
2,920,537 |
54% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites |
2,198,167 |
1,184,301 |
54% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites as % of all cancer
sites |
41% |
41% |
|
Annually,
in the developing countries,
adenocarcinomas represent about 30% of the 6.8 million new cancer cases and 4.7
million cancer deaths (2007 numbers from www.cancer.org):
|
2007 cancer.org statistics Developing Countries |
New incidents |
Deaths |
Deaths Incidents |
|
Lung |
788,886 |
694,353 |
88% |
|
Colon |
414,640 |
249,971 |
60% |
|
Breast |
593,233 |
255,576 |
43% |
|
Pancreas |
103,220 |
105,947 |
103% |
|
Prostate |
194,917 |
106,537 |
55% |
|
Ovary |
123,761 |
72,433 |
59% |
|
Stomach |
725,230 |
569,549 |
79% |
|
All cancer sites |
6,755,179 |
4,680,309 |
69% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites |
1,962,592 |
1,369,577 |
70% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites as % of all cancer
sites |
29% |
29% |
|
Annually,
worldwide, adenocarcinomas represent
about 35% of the 12.3 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths
(2007 numbers from www.cancer.org):
|
2007 cancer.org statistics Worldwide |
New incidents |
Deaths |
Deaths Incidents |
|
Lung |
1,549,121 |
1,351,034 |
87% |
|
Colon |
1,167,020 |
602,967 |
52% |
|
Breast |
1,301,867 |
464,854 |
36% |
|
Pancreas |
250,032 |
259,391 |
104% |
|
Prostate |
782,647 |
253,906 |
32% |
|
Ovary |
230,555 |
141,452 |
61% |
|
Stomach |
1,066,543 |
800,230 |
75% |
|
All cancer sites |
12,332,279 |
7,649,281 |
62% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites |
4,231,857 |
2,582,556 |
61% |
|
Adenocarcinomas in top 7 sites as % of all cancer
sites |
34% |
34% |
|
3. About
Labyrinthin
The
presence of the cell-surface protein Labyrinthin is a definitive indicator of
an adenocarcinoma. Labyrinthin stays anchored to the surface of adenocarcinoma
cells and is not expressed on the surface of normal cells or non-adenocarcinoma
cells. These properties enable precision treatment affecting only cancer cells,
not healthy cells.
Evidence of the presence of Labyrinthin on the
cell-surface of adenocarcinomas:
A. Confocal microscopy performed in 2007 at the
Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX
|
Samples |
Labyrinthin
(green) Nucleus
(blue) |
|
Live lung adenocarcinoma
cells Shows Labyrinthin on the
cell surface |
|
|
Live normal lung cells Shows no Labyrinthin on the
cell surface |
|
For
this experiment, the cells were stained with the primary antibody (MCA 44-3A6)
that binds to Labyrinthin and a secondary antibody labeled with fluorescent
molecules in the green spectrum (FITC) that binds to the primary antibody. The
green fluorescent molecules are only visible on the adenocarcinoma cells.
B. Immunohistochemistry performed in 2007 at the
University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
|
Tissue Arrays |
Normal Sample (40x) |
Malignant Sample (40x) Labyrinthin expression (brown) |
|
Breast |
|
|
|
Colon |
|
|
|
Lung |
|
|
|
Ovary |
|
|
|
Pancreas |
|
|
|
Prostate |
|
|
For
this experiment, the cells were stained with the primary antibody (MCA 44-3A6)
that binds to Labyrinthin. Only adenocarcinoma cells express Labyrinthin and
thus stained brown.
C. Flow cytometry performed in 2007 at SRI, Inc. in
Menlo Park, CA
|
|
Extracellular |
|
Positive control A549 Source ATCC |
|
|
Negative control WI-38 Source ATCC |
|
|
Normal primary cell culture Human astrocytes Source Cambrex/Lonza |
|
|
Normal primary cell culture Renal proximal tubule epithelial
cells Source Cambrex/Lonza |
|
|
Normal primary cell culture Small airway epithelial cells |
