Advaxis

Advaxis is a biotechnology company based in North Brunswick and Princeton, New Jersey which develops Listeria cancer vaccines.

Development and production
Advaxis uses live genetically modified Listeria monocytogenes to treat cancers, infectious disease and problems of the immune system. With a total of over 10 years of innovative work conducted by Yvonne Paterson, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, discoveries uncovered the unique capabilities of microbe Listeria. The microbe promotes simultaneous stimulatation of every aspect within the immune system creating a process for coordinating innate, humoral [antibodies|antibody] and encourages cellular adaptive immune responses in an extremely effective response to existing cancers and other diseases.

Testing
Advaxis is the exclusive licensee of a patented broadly enabling Listeria platform technology that can elicit effective anti-tumor responses. The leading Advaxis Listeria vaccine candidate, Lovaxin C, targets cervical cancer and head cancer and neck cancers. Other Listeria vaccines in development target breast cancer, ovarian cancer and lung cancers. Advaxis is entering a Phase I/II clinical trial.

It is important to understand that Advaxis is developing vaccines for treating patients who have already contracted the target disease, such as cervical or breast cancer. In animal models of breast cancer, the data show that the Advaxis Lovaxin B vaccine, composed of the Listeria with the Her2/neu antigen, was able to successfully stop tumor growth.

Patent
Advaxis in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline laboratories unveloped the information that a non-haemolytic truncated form of Listeriolysin O Protein ((LLO)), a single polypeptide protein secreted by the Gram-positive bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, when fused to an antigen enhances a higher level of immunity protection. The joint invention has been patented.