Epitopea Secures £500K Grant for Cancer Immunotherapy Advancements
Epitopea, a pioneering transatlantic cancer immunotherapeutics company with its bases in Cambridge, UK, and Montreal, Canada, has recently been awarded a significant grant amounting to £500K from Innovate UK. This funding is part of Innovate UK's Cancer Therapeutics programme, which is aimed at supporting innovative research initiatives in the field of cancer therapy. The grant is non-dilutive, meaning that it will not require the company to give up any equity, thus providing a much-needed financial boost to further their mission. The support will specifically assist in their research endeavors focused on developing both therapeutic vaccines and T cell receptor-based therapies that target unique antigens presented by stromal cells, a vital aspect in the fight against various cancers.
At the helm of Epitopea is CEO Dr.
Alan C. Rigby, who leads a team committed to shaping the future of cancer treatment. The company is dedicated to developing accessible, off-the-shelf RNA-based immunotherapies that can be employed in hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a novel class of antigens that are rarely exploited. These antigens, which are shared among multiple patients with the same type of tumor, offer promising avenues for targeted therapy. The extensive library of innovative CryptigenTM Tumor-Specific Antigens (TSAs) is a product of Epitopea's advanced research capabilities, fueled by the proprietary CryptoMapTM platform, which integrates immunopetidomics, genomics, and sophisticated bioinformatics to locate and identify aberrantly-expressed, tumor-specific antigens that are often concealed within what is colloquially referred to as cancer's ‘junk’ DNA.
The discovery of these hidden CryptigenTM TSAs is a testament to the significance of collaborative research. Drs. Claude Perreault and Pierre Thibault at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the Université de Montréal played a crucial role in uncovering these antigens through their innovative research. Their work, combined with the impressive technological framework at Epitopea, positions the company at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy. With the backing of Innovate UK and the intellectual expertise of its founders and partners, Epitopea is poised to make substantial strides in providing more effective and targeted treatment options for cancer patients, marking a new chapter in the ongoing battle against this disease.
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