Sign in Subscribe
Pharmaceutical industry

Immunex and Johns Hopkins University Collaborate on Tumor Vaccine Research

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Immunex Corporation and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have entered into a three-year research collaboration to develop controlled-release formulations of yeast-derived granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to be used in conjunction with tumor vaccine adjuvants. The collaboration will focus on evaluating the clinical safety and efficacy of GM-CSF as a vaccine adjuvant. The agreement is a result of pioneering research conducted at Johns Hopkins, which demonstrated potent antitumor vaccines can be produced by using GM-CSF in a novel way to amplify immune responses to cancer antigens.

Key Takeaways:

  • Immunex has licensed Johns Hopkins' patent applications covering the use of controlled-release formulations of GM-CSF for immunotherapy.
  • The collaboration aims to jointly develop, scale-up, and test in cancer patients a slow-release microsphere formulation containing GM-CSF.
  • The research conducted by Drew Pardoll, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues has shown that mixing tumor cells with GM-CSF in slow-release microspheres can activate and educate immune system cells to kill tumors.
  • Immunex owns patent rights to GM-CSF, including methods of using GM-CSF to treat tumors and bacterial infections.
  • Immunex is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of products to treat cancer and autoimmune disease.
  • American Home Products Company (NYSE: AHP) owns a majority interest in Immunex.
  • The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has a faculty of 1,000 physicians and scientists and has consistently won more federal competitive research grants than any other medical school.

Statistics:

  • 3-year duration of the research collaboration between Immunex and Johns Hopkins University.
  • $0 financial terms were disclosed.
  • 1000 physicians and scientists are part of the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
  • Johns Hopkins University has consistently won more federal competitive research grants than any other medical school.

Sources:

  • "Immunex Corporation" press release, August 15, 1995.
  • "The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine" (no date mentioned).
  • Immunex Corporation's patent rights to GM-CSF.

Read more