Imugene

Imugene began as a research project in the laboratory of Professor Ursula Wiedermann at the Medical University of Vienna. Over the nine years from 2004 Wiedermann et al. had developed a B cell peptide cancer immunotherapy that could induce an antibody response targeting HER-2 overexpressing tumours. In 2012 a start-up company called Biolife Science was incorporated to develop this immunotherapy (HER-Vaxx). Early-stage funding was secured from Australian and US investors in 2013, after which Biolife was taken public in December 2013 in a reverse takeover of Australian drug development company Imugene, whose name was retained after the merger.

CEO & Managing Director Leslie Chong joined the company, initially as COO, in 2015 after working at Genentech in California, USA. HER-Vaxx entered the clinic in 2017, with the company's PD1-Vaxx technology licensed from Ohio State University and the Mayo Clinic the following year. In 2019 the company then licensed the CF33 oncolytic virus platform, invented by renowned oncologist Professor Yuman Fong of City of Hope Cancer Center in California, USA. In 2021 it also licensed the onCARlytics technology developed by Professor Fong. The company's CHECKvacc (2021) and VAXINIA (2022) technologies have also subsequently entered the clinic.

onCARlytics (CF33-CD19) is a novel immunotherapy utilising the CF33 oncolytic virus to deliver and present CD19 antigen on the surface of cancer cells promoting utilisation of combination with CD19 targeting agents against solid tumours. Researchers first created an oncolytic virus (CF33-CD19) in the lab of City of Hope's Professor Yuman Fong, M.D., to get into tumour cells and start producing CD19. They did this successfully in triple-negative breast, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, head and neck, and brain cancer cell lines. CF33-CD19 oncolytic virus was then combined with CD19 CAR T cells in vitro and in vivo mice studies. Researchers showed significant activity with mice being cured of their cancer with the CF33-CD19 and CAR T-cell combination, as well as prolonged protective anti-tumour immunity. Solid tumours don't express CD19 on their cell surface, therefore introducing the CF33-CD19 allowed for CD19 to be present on the solid tumour cell surface, as well as helped to reverse the tumour's harsh microenvironment, making it receptive to receiving CAR T-cell therapy.