Inovio Biomedical Redirects Strategic Emphasis Toward DNA Vaccines and DNA Delivery

Inovio Biomedical Corporation has announced that it is focusing its research and development efforts on its electroporation-mediated DNA delivery technology and DNA vaccines with the objective of further building potential downstream value to existing and prospective partners.

Overall, management has concluded that the potential return on capital invested in Inovio’s DNA delivery technology is greater than the potential return on its Selective Electrochemical Tumor Ablation (SECTA) program. Therefore, Inovio will focus its research and development efforts on the DNA vaccine market while pursuing avenues for commercialization of the SECTA therapy.

The company’s strategy is to:

Maintain and build Inovio’s intellectual property and patent estate related to its proprietary electroporation-mediated DNA delivery platform.

Pursue additional academic and commercial partnerships, adding to license agreements with Merck and Wyeth as well as multiple other partnerships. With five clinical studies in progress, the goal is to build a deep pipeline of preclinical and clinical programs, conducted by partners, that may further validate the potentially pivotal role Inovio’s technology may play in delivering and enhancing the potency of promising DNA vaccines as well as identify and validate promising DNA vaccines themselves.

Support partners in their initiation and execution of DNA vaccine clinical studies.

Expand Inovio’s research and development efforts with the intent to create or acquire and develop promising proprietary DNA vaccines for cancer and chronic infectious disease targets from preclinical stage through to Phase II clinical studies, which can potentially create significant value with relatively nominal capital investment.

The strategy involves concluding the research and development program and focusing on a commercialization path for the company’s Selective Electrochemical Tumor Ablation (SECTA) therapy program.

“Our growing activity in DNA vaccines and DNA delivery during the last two years combined with our current healthy cash situation positions Inovio to realize important value-adding milestones going forward,” said Dr. Avtar Dhillon, president and CEO.

“For example, during the next three quarters we anticipate additional data from at least three DNA-based immunotherapy clinical studies being conducted by partners and using Inovio’s DNA technology. Previously reported interim results from these studies were positive, providing higher confidence regarding their final outcomes.”