About Heat Biologics, Inc.(Good summary)
Heat Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBX) is an immuno-oncology company developing novel therapies that are designed to activate a patient's immune system against cancer. Heat has generated highly specific T cell-stimulating therapeutic vaccine platform technologies, ImPACT and ComPACT. These technologies, in combination with other therapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, are designed to address three distinct but synergistic mechanisms of action: robust activation of CD8+ "killer" T cells (one of the human immune system's most potent weapons against cancer); reversal of tumor-induced immune suppression; and T cell co-stimulation to further enhance patients' immune response. Currently, Heat is conducting a Phase 2 trial with HS-110 (viagenpumatucel-L) in combination with an anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor to treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Most recently, Heat acquired two T cell costimulators through the acquisition of Pelican Therapeutics, a subsidiary to Heat focused on developing agonists to TNFRSF25, a highly differentiated and potentially best-in-class T cell costimulatory receptor. TNFRSF25 has shown great promise due to its preferential specificity for stimulating the production of "memory" CD8+ T cells, the strongest predictive biomarker of clinical benefit from cancer immunotherapy. T cell costimulatory therapy, when combined with checkpoint inhibitors and other treatments, could significantly improve clinical responses for a broader range of patients. Pelican has conducted extensive preclinical studies and completed humanization of its lead monoclonal antibody, PTX-25.
Heat's wholly-owned subsidiary, Zolovax, Inc., is developing therapeutic and preventative vaccines to treat infectious diseases based on Heat's gp96 vaccine technology, with a current focus on the development of a Zika vaccine in conjunction with the University of Miami.
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