Palo Alto Immunotherapeutics

Palo Alto Immunotherapeutics (PAI) is developing advanced immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. Cancer vaccines have centered around identifying mutant proteins as the target with little regard to further enhancing presentation by the immune system. Digestion by the proteasome is the fundamental initial step in antigen presentation yet enhancing proteasome activity has been overlooked. We have developed methods to substantially enhance proteasomal activity. The lead product is a 2nd generation version of the Rindopepimut vaccine for glioblastoma called Y6-pepvIII. This targets EGFRvIII, one of the most abundant and frequently occurring mutant proteins in glioblastoma. While Rindopepimut was extremely successful for two different indications in Phase II trials, it was equivocal for a third indication in a Phase III trial. We have completed pre-IND work on Y6-pepvIII confirming manufacture and safe toxicology for Phase I. Thus, PAI will be a clinical stage company within 9 months of funding with the intent of pursuing the two indications that showed success for GBM. In addition, once the IND is obtained, PAI can partner Y6-pepvIII with other companies pursuing GBM therapeutics generating licensing revenue and broadening future FDA approval. The proteasomal enhancing technology is a platform that can be applied to other mutant cancer proteins. PAI is currently pursuing the development of vaccines against the B-RAF V600E and KRAS-G12V mutations, the two most frequently mutated proteins in human cancer that can be used to target colon, lung, kidney, pancreatic tumors among other human tumors. PAI is well-positioned to quickly bring its lead product to the clinic under indications likely to obtain FDA approval with a sustained pipeline for a broad variety of other cancers.