Grant Zeng, CFA
Advaxis: Collaboration with Wistar Institute Explores new Opportunity
On April 14, 2011, Advaxis (ADXS) announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with the laboratory of Ellen Puré, Ph.D., professor/associate vice president for Academic Affairs at the Wistar Institute.
Dr. Puré’s research defines the role of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in cancer, and she has demonstrated that genetically deleting or therapeutically targeting FAP significantly reduces tumor growth in mice. FAP is over-expressed in the stroma of tumors. The stroma is the structural tissue matrix in which tumor cells grow, and part of the stroma are fibroblast cells. Fibroblasts are associated with cancer in all stages of development, since in order for tumors to grow they need to stimulate the growth of the stroma to accommodate the growth of new cancer cells within this matrix. By deactivating FAP in mouse models of lung and colon cancer, the laboratory of Dr. Puré has generated an understanding of how FAP promotes tumor growth. FAP inactivation disrupts the organization of the collagen fibers in the matrix which are critical for cell to cell communication, cell-matrix interactions and development of new blood vessels that feed tumors. The study provides proof of principle that targeting and modifying the tumor microenvironment may be an effective approach to treating a variety of solid tumors.
Advaxis will use these mouse models to explore the potential of FAP as a target for immune attack and as the basis for the development of a live attenuated Listeria vaccine. Advaxis plans to use its proprietary Lm-LLO technology to create and test an attenuated Listeria vaccine to FAP, both as a single antigen vaccine, and possibly as a dual antigen vaccine in combination with another tumor target, to see which approach is the most effective. The Company’s objective is to bring an FAP vaccine to the clinic as soon as possible.
What does this Collaboration Mean to Advaxis?
As a reminder, Advaxis is developing a live, attenuated Listeria vaccine technology to target various cancer indications.
This technology involves the creation of genetically engineered Listeria that stimulates the immune system to induce antigen-specific anti-tumor immune response involving both innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. In addition, this technology facilitates the immune response by altering tumors to make them more susceptible to immune attack, and increasing the number and maturation of development of specific cells that underlie a strong therapeutic immune response.
The Listeria platform technology is unique and holds advantages over its peers. Advaxis has established a pipeline targeting various cancer indications based on this technology. The Listeria technology has broad applications. By changing the antigen, the Listeria technology can be utilized to target different cancer types or other diseases.
The Collaboration with prestigious Wistar Institute in the area of FAP certainly will bring new opportunity to Advaxis. As the Company indicated they want to bring an FAP vaccine to the clinic as soon as possible. Advaxis already has or will have 7 clinical programs under development. The FAP vaccine will further strength the Company’s pipeline.
We have an Outperform rating on the Company’s shares.
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