Inovio Pharmaceuticals and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy have entered into a clinical collaboration agreement that providesthem to undertake clinical evaluation of novel combination regimens within the field of immuno-oncology.
The goal of the partnership is to design innovative studies that have the potential to address cancers with high unmet need. The initial trial under consideration between Inovio and the Parker Institute would address muscle invasive bladder cancer with INO-5401 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and immune modulators.
Under the agreement, the Parker Institute will have responsibility for clinical study execution, working in collaboration with its established network of the most pre-eminent clinical academic and industry cancer centers. Based on Parker's novel approach to accelerating studies of cancer immunotherapies, Inovio will provide financial contributions if Inovio's product(s) studied under the collaboration reaches the initiation of a Phase 3 study.
“This collaboration between the Parker Institute and Inovio exemplifies the mission of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy to unlock the promise of immunotherapy by rapidly progressing next generation treatments into clinical trials,” said Fred Ramsdell, PhD, vice president of Research at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. “If this collaboration leads to better cancer patient responses to immunotherapy, this would mark an important milestone for the field.”
The collaboration with Inovio represents the Parker Institute’s first agreement within the field of DNA-based Immunotherapeutics.