A biopharmaceutical company focused on cancer
Invectys is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative immunotherapy approaches to treat cancers. It was founded in 2010 by Pierre Langlade Demoyen and Simon Wain-Hobson and is based in Paris.
Invectys develops a novel approach to mobilizing and restoring the anti-tumor capacity of the immune system of cancer patients. This allows virtually all cancers to be targeted. Invectys focuses its efforts on two highly prevalent tumor antigens: the nearly-universal tumor antigen telomerase that is critical to uncontrolled cell growth, and the HLA-G immune checkpoint expressed in over 50% of cancers.
Invectys has created two complementary technological platforms to reach its goals:
- Telomerase-based vaccines, with INVAC-1 and UCPVax
- HLA-G-based therapies
With its most recent funding of €15 million in October 2018, Invectys raised more than €38 million and represents one of the largest immune-oncology financing rounds in Europe. It is backed by French and international private investors and has received financial grants from the French state.
Invectys’ approach has significant benefits compared to traditional oncology approaches:
- targets most cancers
- induces higher and more robust anti-tumor responses than those obtained with other products
- a very innovative approach with no marketed competing products
- addresses an unmet market
- is more cost effective than competing treatments.
Core Assets to be Funded
- Lead product: INVAC-1 – State-of-the-art DNA Vaccine developed trough proprietary human telomerase vaccine platform
- Phase 2 clinical trial ongoing at the MD Anderson in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Follow-on Phase 2a in planning in multiple indications, standalone or in combinations: Bladder, glioblastoma, HCC, Lynch’s
- Efficacy: 65% one-year survival rate
- UCPVax: telomerase peptide vaccine, designed to activate CD4+ helper T cells
- Encouraging pre-clinical results: confirmed specificity of the immune response, proliferation of Th1 cells, increased tumor-specific CD8+ response, no serious vaccine-related toxicity
- Phase 1/2 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) at the Besançon University
- Early clinical results: increased CD4+ response against telomerase in 60% of patients
- Second platform: therapies based on the novel Immune Checkpoint HLA-G
- INMAB: Checkpoint inhibitor Monoclonal antibodies
- CAR-T cells targeting HLA-G
Invectys highlights & achievements
- An advanced pipeline exploiting several technologies:
- Telomerase-based therapeutic vaccines
- Innovative HLA-G platform with both MAb and CAR-T potential
- Invac-1 potential in multiple cancers:
- 2 products in Phase II in the USA and in France, including a CLL study at the MD Anderson Cancer Center under the leadership of Prof. Michael J. Keating
- Multiple avenues for combination studies
- Unique prophylactic potential in early-stage and rapid-progression malignancies
- Dominant know-how in Telomerase approaches:
- Institut Pasteur legacy
- Ongoing academic studies at University of Besançon
- Multiple opportunities for partnership with pharma companies
- Strong IP (13 patents filed)
- Historic shareholder support
- Talented and seasoned team
