Auckland spinout Sapvax, which is developing anti-cancer vaccines using immunotherapy technology, is searching for $8m to advance its development.
Sapvax, a spinout recently founded by Auckland University to develop an anti-cancer vaccine based on immunotherapy, is actively seeking investors to further commercialise its technology.
Using technology similar to Juno Therapeutics, which recently attracted a $1bn commitment from pharmaceutical firm Celgene, Sapvax is looking to treat cancer by engineering T-cells so that they can identify and kill off cancerous tumours.
Sapvax’s vaccines are ready to move to clinical trials, and the company is searching for $8m in order to push the vaccines forward. Should they prove effective, Sapvax will be looking to edge into a market that’s estimated to be worth $35bn per year within the next decade.
Adam Podmore, commercialisation manager at UniServices, Auckland’s technology transfer office, said that the ideal investor would also have the ability to put in management teams to commercialise the technology.
