Loma Therapeutics | Best-in-class treatment of HPV-disease

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Disease

%

of human population carries a persistent HPV infection

%

of the total cancer cases globally is caused by HPV

cancer cases caused by HPV globally per year

A growing health burden

One billion people, or 12% of the global population, are affected with HPV and thereby at risk of developing HPV-induced cancer. Currently, only 17% of women and 5% of men have received a vaccine that prevents HPV infection, but it does not treat existing infections. Once infection has taken root, the existing vaccine offers very little benefits.

HPV-induced cancers

More than 800.000 cancers are caused by HPV every year. These include cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, penile, vaginal, and vulvar. The standard of care for these cancers is based on radiotherapy and chemotherapy with a survival rate lower than 50%. These treatments do not target the causative HPV infection, and HPV infections remain active in 25% of cases, leading to a risk of treatment failure and recurrence.

Oropharyngeal cancer

HPV causes 70% of all squamous cell carcinomas in the throat (oropharynx) leading to 106,000 new cases every year. It is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers in high-income countries and projected to increase by 60% in 2050. Oropharyngeal cancer (OPSCC) affects men 4 times more often than women, and more than 20% of cases are younger than 55 years.

Technology

HPV-targeted Immunotherapy

Loma presents a new approach to HPV-targeted immunotherapy, based on years of extensive pre-clinical research. The effect of HPV-targeted immunotherapy is based on triggering the activation of diverse anti-HPV cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells. These T cells are adept at recognizing various components of HPV, thereby enabling them to target and kill HPV+ tumor cells as well as cells infected by HPV, which are predisposed to undergo malignant transformation into cancerous cells.

Loma’s HPV-specific immunotherapy stands out by targeting a very wide range of full-length HPV antigens, expressed throughout all stages of the HPV viral life cycle. The nucleotide sequence encoding these HPV antigens are delivered by replication-deficient viral vectors ensuring strong responses and high safety.

Upon injection of Loma’s therapeutic vaccine, the viral vector infects antigen-presenting cells within our immune system. Within these antigen-presenting cells, the HPV DNA encoded in the viral vector is translated into proteins, which are then processed and displayed on the cell surface for recognition by cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells. This interaction leads to the activation of CD8+ T cells that undergo proliferation and assemble into a formidable army poised to identify and combat any cell harboring HPV cancer and HPV infection.

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Loma: Better efficacy, broader coverage

Loma’s immunotherapy stands out as a ground-breaking treatment option in the medical field, showcasing unparalleled efficacy in eliciting robust and broad T cell responses, as evidenced by extensive studies in mice and non-human primates. Loma’s approach has the ability to induce broad and potent immune responses in individual subjects, which is associated with improved outcomes. Moreover, the extensive range of HPV target antigens enhances the likelihood of eliciting robust immune responses in all treated patients, thereby broadening the potential for HPV-targeted immunotherapy.

The strength of immune responses induced by Loma’s therapy can be attributed to its innovative combination of a carefully selected vector modality and a genetic adjuvant, maximizing immune activation. By comprehensively targeting all HPV-infected cells, Loma not only eradicates existing cancer but also prevents the progression of potentially cancerous cells, thereby mitigating the risk of disease recurrence and metastasis — a phenomenon currently accounting for 25% of cases. Additionally, Loma’s approach can be used as a treatment for pre-cancer infections, preventing cancer from even developing.

With its initial focus on HPV-induced oropharyngeal cancer, Loma aims to expand its clinical applications to address all HPV-induced cancers, offering hope to a significant global population affected by these conditions.

Loma Therapeutics joins BioInnovation Institute’s (BII) Venture Lab program

Loma Therapeutics joins BioInnovation Institute’s (BII) Venture Lab program with a mission to revolutionize HPV cancer treatment and to address the pressing global health crisis posed by HPV-related cancers. Participation in BII's Venture Lab program provides Loma...

Research Publication: Human ex vivo data supports the prospects of Loma’s HPV-targeted immunotherapy

Human ex vivo validation of the potential of Loma’s HPV-targeted immunotherapy has been published in Cancers. The study conducted in collaboration between Loma Therapeutics and Hervolution supports that Loma’s unique immunotherapy can induce strong and functional CD8+...

Loma Therapeutics wins pitch competition award at Nordic Life Science Days 2023

Loma Therapeutics was awarded for Merck’s Advance Biotech Grant for their pitch at the Nordic Stars Pitch Competition. CEO Ditte Boilesen and COO Stephanie Holstein-Rønsbo received the award on stage, which includes bioprocessing technologies and services valued at...

Research Publication: Loma’s therapy shows antitumor efficacy in mice

A substantial part of Loma Therapeutics’ pre-clinical proof of concept was published in Cancer Immunology Research. Briefly, the HPV-targeted immunotherapy underwent thorough in vitro QC to ensure expression of HPV genes and successful inactivation of E6 and E7...