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

 

Source Cambrex/Lonza

 

The red curves show the FACS results of staining the cells with the primary antibody (MCA 44-3A6) and a secondary antibody labeled with fluorescent molecules in the green spectrum (FITC). The black (or blue) curves show the FACS results of staining the cells with an isotype primary antibody and the same secondary antibody labeled with fluorescent molecules in the green spectrum.

A complete shift of the red curve in the positive control (A549 adenocarcinoma) confirms the presence of Labyrinthin on the surface of adenocarcinoma cells. As expected there is no visible shift in the negative control or any of the normal primary cell cultures.

 

4. About the ImmvaRx executive team

Guido Arnout, President & CEO

Dr. Arnout received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Leuven in Belgium in 1980. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Stanford from 1980 to 1982. He has more than 30 years of experience as an innovator and serial entrepreneur in the field of electronic design automaton in which he held positions of VP of Engineering, VP of Marketing, CEO and Chairman. He has extensive experience in turning university research into commercial products and raising venture funding. Dr. Arnout is an advisor or board member of several startups.

James Radosevich, Chief Technology Officer and founder

Dr. Radosevich is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry. He earned a B.S. degree in Biology at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology at the University of Illinois (Chicago), and was a post-doctorate at Northwestern University, where he was subsequently appointed Associate Professor of Otolaryngology. His expertise is well established in tumor cell biology, immune recognition, and immune response. He has been actively involved in human clinical trials involving cancer patients and has served as the Director of Laboratory in a Phase III human tumor vaccine protocol. Dr. Radosevich has received numerous research grants, authored and presented over 250 peer reviewed scientific articles, and is an inventor or co-inventor on ten patents, with over 50 more pending.

Michael Babich, Vice President of Development

Dr. Babich earned B.S. and B.A. degrees in Biology and Chemistry at Eastern Kentucky University, and a doctoral degree in Pharmacology at the University of Kentucky. Following training as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco (Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine), he became an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and co-founded and sold a diagnostic testing laboratory and basic research incubator company. In addition to his current position, Dr. Babich is appointed as Visiting Faculty at the UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine.

Lawrence Gay, Chairman and founding investor

Mr. Gay has over 20 years of experience in the start-up and development of high technology oriented companies both domestically and internationally. His expertise ranges from financial and organizational planning to engineering. Mr. Gay has held positions of President, Chairman, CFO and Board Member in a number of companies. Mr. Gay received a B.A. degree from Goddard College.

 

5. Contact Info

Guido Arnout

+1 408 348 1848