Keeping cancer
in check
More cancer patients than ever before experience an initial treatment success, leading to clinical remission of the disease. However, tumor recurrence is an imminent threat and responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. At Mendus, we focus on therapies addressing tumor recurrence.
Our Approach
Cancer Treatment Today
AML Maintenance
In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), maintenance treatment is the new frontier.
Measurable residual disease (MRD) is associated with poor relapse-free and overall survival.
Relapse vaccination with DCP-001 is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial addressing AML patients with MRD.
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death among gynecologic malignancies, due to its high recurrence rate.
A Phase 1 clinical trial is ongoing to evaluate DCP-001 safety and efficacy in ovarian cancer.
If successful, the trial supports development of an ovarian cancer maintenance therapy.
Intratumoral Priming
Mendus is evaluating a clinical trial to explore the intratumoral immune primer ilixadencel as a second-line treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), in combination with standard-of-care.
After first-line treatment fails, GIST responds poorly to currently available therapies.
Ilixadencel has demonstrated clinical signs of efficacy in a broad range of solid tumors, including GIST.
Pipeline
ADVANCE II
Indication
Acute myeloid leukemia
Product
DCP-001 (monotherapy)
Status
Ongoing, multiple updates in 2022
Orphan Drug Designation
- Preclinical
- Phase I
- Phase II
- Phase III
TROY
Indication
Gastro-intestinal stromal tumors
Product
Ilixadencel (kinase inhibitors)
Status
In preparation, start in 2022
Fast Track & Orphan Drug Designation
- Preclinical
- Phase I
- Phase II
- Phase III
ALISON
Indication
Ovarian cancer
Product
DCP-001 (monotherapy)
Status
Ongoing, initial data mid 2022
- Preclinical
- Phase I
- Phase II
- Phase III
Applying dendritic cell biology to design novel cancer immunotherapies
Dendritic cells orchestrate the immune system, including the immune surveillance of potential cellular aberrations which could lead to cancer.
Increasing evidence suggests that dynamic interactions between dendritic cells, involving cellular crosstalk and the exchange of cellular content, are crucial in fulfilling this task.
At Mendus, we apply these insights in dendritic cell biology to design novel immunotherapies and unlock meaningful clinical benefits for cancer patients.
The cancer relapse vaccine DCP-001 is derived from a proprietary cancer cell line. During manufacturing, these cancer cells are made to express dendritic cell molecules on their surface, rendering them highly immunogenic and suitable as a vaccine.
The intratumoral immune primer ilixadencel comprises pro-inflammatory dendritic cells from healthy donor material, which are injected into the tumor. This leads to local inflammation in the tumor microenvironment and the triggering of systemic anti-tumor immunity.
Our preclinical pipeline focuses on the design of next-generation products and novel combination therapies, including the combination of vaccination and intratumoral priming.
Publications
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