Madison Vaccines is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing plasmid DNA vaccines to treat prostate cancer. Its lead candidate, MVI-816, is designed to activate patients' immune systems to kill prostate cancer cells after initial treatment; the Phase 2 trial is expanding to include Johns Hopkins University and UCSF. The company plans to pair MVI-816 with a PD-1 pathway inhibitor in a combination trial for late-stage disease and will procure that inhibitor for the study. The FDA approved a Phase 1 IND for MVI-118, a second plasmid DNA vaccine targeting the human androgen receptor to address treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is finalizing preparations for the Phase 1 trial. Both MVI-816 and MVI-118 are plasmid DNA vaccines that the company says can be rapidly and inexpensively manufactured, are relatively stable in storage, and have no solubility problems. To fund these programs, MVI increased its Series A financing to $11 million with its current syndicate of investors. The planned late-stage combination trial will be conducted under the direction of Dr. Douglas McNeel and is supported by an award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation through the Movember Challenge program. Madison Vaccines (MVI) develops plasmid DNA vaccines targeting prostate cancer antigens, primarily MVI-816 (targets prostatic acid phosphatase, PAP) and MVI-118 (targets the androgen receptor). MVI-816 is a plasmid DNA vaccine designed to induce antigen-specific immune responses and has advantages in cost, stability, and solubility versus protein/peptide vaccines. MVI completed a Phase 1 trial in which MVI-816 was safe, elicited antigen-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell responses, and produced biochemical changes (slowing of PSA doubling times) in more than 30% of patients. The company is conducting an expanded, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in men with PSA-recurrent, non-metastatic prostate cancer (PSA doubling times ≤12 months) measuring metastasis-free survival at 24 months and median time to progression. MVI plans to use the Series A proceeds to complete the expanded Phase 2 for MVI-816 and to advance MVI-118 through preclinical work and Phase 1 safety studies, including development of a sensitivity test to identify patients likely to benefit. MVI has licensed patented technologies from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), based on work from Dr. Douglas McNeel’s lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Total raised

$19M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Mar 2015