St. Louis cancer drug startup Immunophotonics Inc. will pursue expansion of its lead drug candidate through a partnership with the innovation arm of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.
The clinical-stage startup has formed a research collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc. (JJEI) to study its lead drug candidate, IP-001, being used in conjunction with radiation therapy to treat tumors. Financial terms of the research partnership were not disclosed.
Immunophotonics’ IP-001 is designed to provide anticancer immunity for patients with solid tumors. It includes immune-activating technology aimed at spurring immunity throughout the body. It is currently in clinical trials for use immediately after a tumor ablation, a procedure that dismantles a tumor within the body. IP-001 aims to provide a “systemic or whole body immune response against your cancer,” said Lu Alleruzzo, co-founder and CEO of Immunophotonics.
The research pact with JJEI seeks to expand the use of IP-001 by examining its ability to be used with radiation therapy for patients with solid tumors. JJEI will complete non-clinical research to study the effects of the two treatments being used in combination. Alleruzzo said IP-001’s focus on whole body immune response seeks to mitigate cancer that can sometimes return following radiation treatment.
Immunophotonics has been backed by venture financing, raising $21.4 million in 2022 in Series B funding to advance clinical trials and research efforts. Its Series B round was led by Zubizoom Investments LLC, ROVAQ Ventures LLC, Immune LLC and St. Louis-based iSelectFund. Serial St. Louis entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, co-founder of payments company Block (NY:SQ), is affiliated with Immune LLC and Zubizoom Investments is the investment fund of Miguel Zubizarreta, former chief technology officer of Westlake, Ohio-based Hyland Software.
The research partnership with JJEI aligns Immunophotonics with a global leader in pharmaceuticals and health care products. New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) had 2022 sales of $94.9 billion. Alleruzzo said Immunophotonics forged a relationship with JJEI through its Jlabs program, which helps incubate startups.
“That was a great way to start communicating with the broader J&J team. That has led to numerous conversations that have ultimately brought us to this point,” Alleruzzo said.
Pursuing research around using IP-001 in conjunction with radiation therapy highlights Immunophotonics’ ambition to have its lead drug candidate used with a variety of cancer treatments, Alleruzzo said.
“This is the first natural extension of our core technology, but it’s just the beginning. Ultimately and fundamentally I believe every tumor destruction technique that is utilized in patients has the potential to be much more powerful with IP-001,” Alleruzzo said.
Immunophotonics has less than 20 full-time employees and has partnerships with other organizations for its clinical research operations. In addition to its local operations, which are headquartered at BioSTL Building in the Cortex innovation district, Immunophotonics has a European headquarters in Bern, Switzerland.
