PharmaJet has signed a long-term licence and supply agreement with Scancell to use the PharmaJet Stratis Intramuscular (IM) Needle-free System.
The system, which is cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CE-marked, will be used for the delivery of Scancell’s advanced melanoma DNA vaccine, ImmunoBody SCIB1/iSCIB1+.
Scancell is a biopharmaceutical company in the clinical stage, focusing on developing treatments for unmet medical needs in cancer. The company is building a pipeline of products through its four technology platforms, Moditope and ImmunoBody for vaccines, and GlyMab and AvidiMab for antibodies.
As part of the agreement, Scancell will use the Stratis system in both the clinical development and eventual commercialisation of its melanoma DNA vaccine.
PharmaJet will receive milestone payments related to development and regulatory progress. Once the vaccine is commercialised, PharmaJet will also receive royalties from net sales.
Scancell will handle clinical trials, regulatory processes, and the commercialisation of the product.
Scancell CEO Lindy Durrant said: “Securing long-term supply for the PharmaJet Stratis Needle-free Injection System is important to allow clinical and commercial development of iSCIB1+. We are pleased that PharmaJet delivery works effectively with the SCIB1/iSCIB1+ therapeutic cancer vaccines and offers a well-received immunisation for patients.
“Our ultimate goal for Scancell has been to deliver an off-the-shelf, safe, tolerable, effective therapy that can provide potent and durable anti-tumour responses for unresectable stage IV melanoma, which currently has a 5-year survival of 35%, according to the SEER database.”
PharmaJet is said to have scaled its needle-free delivery technology for commercial purposes, aiming to improve the performance of vaccines and therapeutics based on nucleic acids.
According to the firm, the Stratis system has shown that it can enable the efficient uptake of Scancell’s DNA melanoma vaccine by the body’s cellular machinery, leading to the expression of the target antigen and an anti-tumour response.
So far, 60 patients at 15 clinical sites have received 171 doses of SCIB1/iSCIB1+ through the Stratis system. This combination is claimed to offer a standardised therapeutic option with needle-free administration for patients.
PharmaJet chief scientific officer Nathalie Landry said: “The Scancell strategic partnership further solidifies PharmaJet’s commercial delivery platform as a leader in the delivery of nucleic acid vaccines and immunotherapies. We look forward to working with Scancell to advance their innovation further in clinical development and commercialisation for the ultimate benefit of melanoma patients worldwide.”
