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Viventia Biotech
Inc. is a private biopharmaceutical company advancing a
portfolio of novel antibody-based drugs for the treatment
of cancer. Our vision is to become a leading global biotechnology
company employing our unique technologies to discover, develop,
manufacture and commercialize a broad pipeline of anti-cancer
products.
Our lead product, Proxinium™, continues on an aggressive
clinical development schedule. The drug candidate is in
a multinational pivotal Phase II/III clinical trial for
the treatment of head and neck cancer as well as clinical
trials for prostate and bladder cancer . Proxinium™
has Orphan Drug status in both the U.S. and Europe and has
been designated as a Fast Track product by the U.S. FDA.
We are also developing Vicinium™ for the treatment
of bladder cancer. Vicinium™ recently completed a
Phase I dose-escalation clinical trial involving a total
of 64 patients. Result of this trial, presented at
American Urological Association 2007,
demonstrated that Vicinium™ was able to halt the progression
of bladder cancer in more than 93% of patients. A Phase
II study to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of
Vicinium™ for the treatment of bladder cancer is currently
underway.
VB6-845 is Viventia’s systemically
administered anti-EpCAM therapeutic and is being developed
for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors
via intravenous (IV) infusion, with a specific emphasis
on patients with metastasizing disease.
VB6-845 is a recombinant fusion
protein containing the cytotoxic protein payload bouganin.
Viventia has developed a deimmunized form of bouganin,
a ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) obtained from the
shrub Bougainvillea spectabilis. A comprehensive series
of pharmacology and toxicology studies have been conducted
with VB6-845, supporting its advancement into human clinical
trials. A Phase I/II dose escalation study in patients
with advanced solid tumors is currently underway in order
to establish initial safety parameters and to establish
a preliminary efficacy signal. Phase II trials are planned
for 2008.
In addition to Proxinium™,
Vicinium™ and VB6-845, we are developing a robust
portfolio of monoclonal antibodies against proprietary
targets that
may hold significant therapeutic potential for the treatment
of many of the most common cancers.
Recognizing the need for improved monoclonal antibody
therapeutics, Viventia has built a technology platform
to discover and advance the next generation of anti-cancer
monoclonal antibodies. Viventia’s proprietary discovery
and development engine addresses the fundamental considerations
in the advancement of antibody-based therapeutics:
1) choice of target
2) method of generation
3) mechanism of action
4) production.
Viventia’s target platform, UnLock™ identifies
both known and novel cell-surface targets, thus addressing
the concern that the majority of products in development today
are directed towards known targets, hindering new product
development. The Fusogenics™ platform generates fully
human monoclonal antibody libraries built from the immune
response of cancer patients. Combining both binding and functionality,
Fusogenic™ libraries are designed for rapid, high-content screening,
focused on the assessment of therapeutic potential. The limited
success that many first generation anti-cancer antibodies
have had in eliminating solid tumors is addressed through
Viventia’s Armed Antibody™ platform, which combine
the selective targeting of antibodies with the efficacy of
highly potent, tumor-activated payloads. Viventia’s
product development is supported by scalable internal cGMP
manufacturing focused on high yield microbial production. Viventia
is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and our research and
production facilities are located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We
employ more than 100 highly skilled professionals.
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