We are a biotechnology company focusing primarily on the development of BiovaxID, a patient-specific anti-cancer vaccine focusing on the treatment of follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or follicular NHL. Follicular NHL is a cancer of the lymphatic system that results when the body's follicle center cells, which are a type of white blood cell, become abnormal and eventually spread throughout the body growing and dividing in an uncontrolled fashion. BiovaxID is a customized anti-cancer vaccine that is derived from a patient's own cancer cells and is designed to utilize the power of the patient's immune system to recognize and destroy cancerous lymphoma cells while sparing normal cells. We produce this vaccine by extracting some of the patient's tumor cells and then replicating and purifying the unique antigen that is present only on the surface of the patient's own tumor cells. We are currently conducting a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for BiovaxID in patients with the indolent, or low-grade, form of B-cell follicular NHL.
We also have developed an automated cell culture instrument, called AutovaxID, to reduce the manpower and production space requirements and costs associated with the production of our BiovaxID vaccine. We believe that this instrument will facilitate our commercial production of BiovaxID following approval. Further, we have formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, AutovaxID, Inc., and have leased space in St. Louis, Missouri to conduct the business which will commercially market this automated instrument.
