September 06, 2012 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Aduro BioTech, Inc. announces the award of a Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) grant from the Department of Defense. The grant of $867,846 will be used to complete the preclinical development of a novel therapeutic cancer vaccine for prostate cancer.

Aduro’s most advanced vaccine platform is based on live-attenuated Listeria monocytogenes and has been evaluated in three Phase 1 clinical trials. The lead therapeutic, CRS-207, has been engineered to express the tumor-associated antigen mesothelin and is currently being evaluated in a randomized, controlled Phase 2 trial in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The trial, conducted at 10 top-tier medical centers across the country, recently enrolled the 70th patient out of a planned total of 90 patients.

The CDMRP funds will be used to engineer Listeria strains to express a combination of tumor-associated prostate cancer antigens, which reduces the likelihood of the tumor escaping the immune response and increases the likelihood of a broader and more effective immune response. CDMRP funds will also be used for evaluation of candidate vaccine strains in animal models, followed by toxicology and manufacturing of the lead strain to prepare for filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

“Based on our capabilities to design, engineer, test and manufacture Listeria-based vaccines, we can move rapidly and efficiently from concept to clinical trial,” said Dr. Dirk Brockstedt, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Aduro BioTech, Inc.

About Aduro BioTech, Inc.

Aduro is advancing multiple therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases based on its proprietary attenuated Listeria monocytogenes-based vaccine platforms. The company is also advancing a new program towards clinical evaluation that utilizes targeted small molecule immune modulators that have broad application for vaccine design. The company's Listeria platform has been validated by 26 publications that illustrate the platform's unique combination of safety and potency and by more than $24 million in federal and private grant and contract funding. In addition, the company has multiple patents issued in the U.S., Europe and throughout the world that broadly protect its proprietary and clinical applications. The company’s lead therapeutic, CRS-207, is currently being evaluated in a randomized, controlled Phase 2 trial in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Contacts

Aduro BioTech, Inc.
Steven Bodovitz, Ph.D., +510-809-4813
sbodovitz@adurobiotech.com