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news.Ichor Medical Systems has received FDA approval to conduct a phase I clinical trial of a melanoma vaccine to be administered to patients utilizing a novel delivery technology.
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The vaccine, which was developed by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center scientists, consists of DNA encoding a form of the tyrosinase protein. This protein is found broadly in melanoma cells and is a promising target for immunotherapy, Ichor said.
The vaccine will be administered with the Ichor TriGrid Delivery System (TriGrid), which uses electroporation to increase the intracellular delivery of the DNA vaccine to the cells at the site of administration. By “teaching” the body’s own immune or disease-fighting system to target melanoma cells which contain the tyrosinase protein, the vaccine has the potential to alter the course of the disease.
Dr John Laszlo, chairman of Ichor’s scientific advisory board, said: “Our new TriGrid DNA vaccine delivery system has shown tremendous promise in terms of preclinical testing for efficacy and practicality; hopefully it will address the shortcomings of conventional methods for DNA vaccine delivery and help us take an important step forward in the field of melanoma therapy.”