MD Anderson & CureVac Ink Collaboration Deal--To Target Off-the-Shelf mRNA-Based Cancer Vaccines

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, CureVac (CVAC), the German-based, Nasdaq-traded biotech company developing mRNA-based vaccines was hot, so hot that then President Donald Trump’s White House reached out to the company’s CEO to discuss an exclusive deal with the U.S. government. The German Federal Government invested €300 million in the company with KFW, the German-owned state investment bank owning 23% of the venture. That deal didn’t advance very far, and the company encountered difficulties on the pathway to vaccine development against COVID-19. For example, by June 2021, the company announced that their COVID-19 vaccine, CVnCoV displayed inadequate results in Phase 3 clinical trials with a mere 47% efficacy. By the fall of 2021, CureVax ceased any COVID-19 vaccine development independently, opting to focus on a joint effort with GSK to develop improved mRNA vaccine technology. The company of course understands the need to diversify, branching into the needed and potentially lucrative field of cancer. Now, the company inks a deal with one of the world’s preeminent cancer care and research centers---MD Anderson. Aligning complementary expertise, collaboration aims to develop off-the-shelf mRNA-based cancer vaccines for select hematologic and solid cancers.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and CureVac N.V. today, announced a co-development and licensing agreement to develop novel mRNA-based cancer vaccines.