Antitumor vaccine: ErVimmune startup raises 17M€

The biotechnology company ErVimmune, spinoff of academic research conducted at the CRCL and the Léon Bérard Center, is set to enter a new phase of its development following the completion of a €17 million fundraising round.

ErVimmune specializes in the development of next-generation anti-tumor vaccines targeting new families of “unconventional” tumor antigens derived from human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). The significant fundraising recently completed with a consortium of international investors will enable the company to continue the clinical development of ErVac01, its first vaccine candidate.

This is a heterologous formulation containing a collection of epitopes derived from human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), designed to cover the majority of the global population in terms of HLA alleles (e.g., >80% in Asia and >95% in Europe). By selecting antigens shared between patients and tumor types, a ready-to-use vaccine can be produced rather than resorting to personalized treatment. The vaccine targets “cold” tumors such as triple-negative breast cancer or ovarian cancer, which are not very sensitive to checkpoint inhibitors. This funding will enable a first clinical trial in humans to be conducted, a crucial step in ensuring the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine.

“This funding marks a critical milestone in bringing our off-the-shelf cancer vaccine to the clinic”, said Prof. Stéphane Depil, onco-hematologist at the Léon Bérard Center, team leader at the CRCL, and founder and board member at ErVimmune. ““Our approach has the potential to transform treatment options for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.”

n parallel with this financing, ErVimmune announces the appointment of Eric Halioua as executive chairman of its board of directors, strengthening the company’s governance and strategic leadership as it enters the clinical development stage. Eric Halioua (MS, MBA) is a seasoned biotech entrepreneur and executive with a strong track record in company creation, capital raising and value creation.