BioNTech and Genentech to Collaborate on Cancer Vaccines

BioNTech AG announced today that it will work with the Roche Group’s Genentech on new messenger RNA-based vaccines that will prevent or treat various types of cancer.
As quoted in the press release:

The collaboration will focus on the development of mRNA cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, based upon BioNTech’s Individualized Vaccines Against Cancer (IVAC®) MUTANOME clinical platform for the potential treatment of multiple cancers. A patient’s cancer genome can be rapidly sequenced with next generation technology to define a spectrum of unique mutations known as “neoantigens” or “neoepitopes” present in a particular patient’s tumor (the “mutanome”). An mRNA vaccine encoding selected neoepitopes can be manufactured for each individual tumor’s mutanome signature, which may trigger an immune response highly specific to the tumor resulting in precisely targeted cancer cell death.

Genentech’s Head of Partnering, James Sabry, says the following:

“Unlike any medicine we have ever developed, virtually all cancer patients may potentially benefit from a custom built cancer vaccine. By collaborating with BioNTech on this cutting edge approach, we hope to truly advance cancer treatments by using a common molecular backbone – mRNA – that is uniquely tailored to an individual patient.”

Read the full press release here.