Immunicum signs agreement with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Immunicum AB recently signed a research agreement with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey to supply the institution with the company's adenovirus (Ad5PTDf35) technology.

A research group at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda is currently evaluating Immunicum’s patented adenovirus vector in the CRISPR/Cas9 field. A research group in New Jersey for the study of the effect on cancer stem cells will also use the adenovirus when genes that give rise to cancer are turned off.

"We are interested in studying how the exclusion of selected oncogenes using Immunicum’s adenovirus vector affects treatment resistance and survival of cancer stem cells," Daniel J. Medina, associate professor of the Division of Medicinal Oncology at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said. "Immunicum’s technology has proven to be a good fit for achieving an effective 'gene knockdown.'"

Immunicum will make its proprietary adenovirus technology available for Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and in return will receive exclusivity to evaluate and negotiate the rights to any potential discoveries that are made under the collaboration.

"We are very excited to initiate this collaboration with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, a major U.S. center for cancer research,” Immunicum’s CEO Jamal El-Mosleh said. “The agreement should also be seen as an important step in our efforts to expand exchanges with U.S. institutions in cancer and vaccine immunotherapy research.”