Cerus cancer, infectious news
CERS spun out its immunotherapy programs into newco Anza Therapeutics Inc., located in Concord, Calif. Anza concurrently received an undisclosed amount of venture financing from undisclosed investors. Anza's assets include CERS's attenuated Listeria vaccine platform and its killed but metabolically active (KBMA) vaccines program. The company's lead product is CRS-100, an immunotherapeutic composed of attenuated Listeria monocytogenes and a cancer antigen in Phase I testing to treat liver metastases.
CERS owns 15.5% of the spinout and is eligible for about $91.5 million in milestones, plus royalties. David Cook, formerly corporate SVP at CERS, became CEO of the newco. Thomas Dubensky, formerly CERS's VP of vaccine research, will be CSO. ...