Cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) increases anti-tumor immunity by blocking molecules that suppress anti-tumor activity. However, only a limited fraction of patients benefits from the therapeutic response obtained with these biologic drugs and immune related adverse events (irAEs) are a frequent burden. Therefore, factors that could improve the therapeutic outcome and mitigate irAEs are needed. The intestine ecosystem is a crucial regulator of the anti-tumor adaptive immune response, however, it is affected by ICIs activity, which can compromise therapy’s efficacy and duration. MV004 restores gut integrity during ICIs administration and improves tumor infiltration by highly effective tumoricidal cells, leading to enhanced control of tumor growth and survival of tumor bearing mice.
MV BioTherapeutics aims at delivering
clinical proof of concept for its lead programs.
ApyraMed • MV-004 • Cancer immunotherapy (lead program)
Cancer immunotherapy of solid tumors has therapeutic efficacy in a limited number of patients
ApyraMed/ICI combination has shown to promote intestinal fitness and the generation of highly effective anti-tumor cytotoxic T cells, resulting in superior survival in experimental models of solid tumors. The program is ready for preclinical development.
ApyraMed • MV-004 • Dysbiosis
Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis exposes the organism to various medical conditions
The intestinal mucosal surface is inhabited by a complex commensal microbiota that ensures intestinal homeostasis and organism’s physiologic functions. Antibiotic treatments can severely affect microbiota composition and cause dysbiosis, thereby exposing the host to pathophysiological consequences, including intestinal inflammation, susceptibility to enteric infections, metabolic alterations and a number of systemic effects.
ApyraMed promotes microbiome recovery and selection of beneficial bacteria after antibiotic treatment. This results in powerful control of antibiotic-induced enteric infections and metabolic alterations.
ApyraVax • MV-005 • Undisclosed target
Mucosal infections are a global health concern
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), for example, is a nosocomial, antibiotics associated infectious diarrhea characterized by a high mortality rate, in particular in people above the age of 65. Current treatments include antibiotics and fecal transplantation. Recurrence rates are 20-30% and deaths in the US over 29’000 every year. The total cost per patient is extremely high.