Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Inc.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals is developing a therapeutic vaccine for late-stage prostate cancer. The start-up believes that one of the reasons vaccines have floundered in the clinic may be negative feedback loops that desensitize the vaccine before it's had a chance to work. Bellicum's autologous vaccine is designed to avoid that. Its dimerizer agent is injected 24 hours after the vaccine, giving the dendritic cells time to migrate to draining lymph nodes before activation. When therapeutic vaccine cells are stimulated ex-vivo, they begin releasing key cytokines, such as IL-12, immediately.
You may also be interested in...
Start-Up Previews (03/2009)
A preview of the emerging health care companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "Treating Late-Stage Prostate Cancer," features profiles of AndroBioSys, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Colby Pharmaceuticals and Med Discovery. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: AeonClad Biomedical, Arete Therapeutics, Bonovo Orthopedics and Thrasos Therapeutics.
Med Discovery SA
Switzerland's Med Discovery was founded on the discovery of a prostate cancer target, human kallikrein 2, a key protease associated with prostate biology that is thought to contribute to cancer progression and development. The start-up's lead protease inhibitor targets hK2 and is based on the natural serine protease inhibitor ACT, which the company believes will avoid the selectivity and toxicities of other protease inhibitors. Med Discovery is developing the candidate for prostate cancer, but it believes it also has potential for treating skin disorders and for immunological treatment of cancer.
Treating Late-Stage Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer was the cause of 28,666 deaths in 2008, or 10% of cancer deaths in the US, and roughly 186,000 men are diagnosed with the disease each year. Docetaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent, is the only FDA-approved drug to treat late-stage prostate cancer, leaving a significant need that many biotechs and pharmaceutical firms are trying to meet. Results are starting to roll in from several key clinical trials of late-stage prostate cancer therapies. Start-ups embarking on drug development may face significant competition.