In relation to the recent COVID-19 incident and vaccine development, the Washington Business Journal focused on Immunomic Therapeutics Inc. (IT) through an interview with President William Hearl on April 3rd.
The following is a summary of the main contents of the interview.
1. About Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)
- It is expected that the brain tumor treatment that IT is developing can be delivered to patients from 2022 through a rapid approval program.
- IT is currently developing nucleic acid-based glioblastoma treatments, which are off-the-shelf treatments that are inexpensive and have great patient convenience, as well as a cell therapy currently in Phase II clinical trial.
- Nucleic acid therapy is a drug that can be treated immediately after diagnosis.
2. About brain center
- IT plans to establish brain tumor centers not only in the United States but also overseas, including Korea, through brain tumor programs.
- HLB will discuss after completing investment in IT, and plan to discuss with HLB in detail after adjusting the publication rights across the country.
3. About COVID-19
Immunomic Therapeutics
- IT is a Maryland-based biotechnology company that HLB has gained a significant interest in January and William Hearl is the founder and CEO of ITI. (ITI)
- Hearl started a business with Dr. J. Thomas August of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland in 2006 and has an immunotherapy vaccine platform technology called Universal Intracellular Targeted Expression (UNITE).
- UNITE has data that supports its application to SARS against the SARS virus in a paper by Dr. August and based on these technologies, it started to develop the COVID-19 vaccine, which is SARS' modified virus.
- IT has exported allergy treatment developed based on UNITE to Astellas Pharma for USD 315 Million (upfront), and if commercialized, it will receive continuous royalty.
- IT is currently developing a brain tumor treatment based on UNITE, and if the results of Phase 2 clinical trials are similar to those of Phase 1, we expect that commercialization as an innovative new drug or large-scale L / O will be possible.
- The ongoing clinical trials are expected to be completed fully enrolled within this year.