Immunophotonics
A New Frontier in Treating Cancer

Despite the remarkable advancements in understanding cancer immunology that have led to breakthrough innovations, effectively treating solid tumor cancers remains a big challenge. In response, the groundbreaking approach from Immunophotonics aims to set a new standard of care, addressing unmet medical needs.

One of the main issues in tackling cancer is that solid tumors possess a mixed cellular composition and an intricate tumor microenvironment that enables the cancer to grow and spread by hiding from or suppressing immune surveillance. This allows the cancer to adapt and be concealed from its predators like a chameleon entering a new environment. New therapeutic approaches such as cancer immunotherapy, combination therapies, targeted energy medicine, and cellular therapies attempt to modify multiple aspects of tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment to unveil the cancer to the immune system. While many of these novel treatments have benefited some patients, they can be costly, can have complicated and timeconsuming steps to prepare the medicine, and have not succeeded in overcoming the many challenges in treating solid cancers.

In response, Immunophotonics has developed a new, practical and promising approach to combat cancer that combines immediate tumor destruction with immune activation. In early clinical studies, this approach has been shown to generate an anticancer immune response that attacks the patient’s own cancer, where tumor-specific T- and B-cells are produced to hunt down, identify, and destroy the cancer throughout the body.

“Immunophotonics has a really interesting approach to cancer, and that’s why I am interested in helping them,” said Dr. Jonathan Knowles, a cancer research expert, previously a Board Member for biotech success Genentech and formerly Head of Group Research at pharmaceutical giant Roche.

Approximately 50 percent of all cancer patients will receive treatment with some form of energy medicine, such as radiation or tumor ablation, as a part of their standard-ofcare treatment plan. These routine treatments are intended to target and destroy individual tumors. The Immunophotonics team recognized that through these procedures, valuable information from the dying tumor cells is released, and it is exactly this information that Immunophotonics is able to use against the cancer. Presently, this information, otherwise known as tumor antigens and “danger signals,” quickly dissipates and is disposed of by the body, never to be seen again. In other words, the millions of tumor ablation and radiation treatments occurring every year, around the globe, have the potential to be something much more.

To capture that potential, Immunophotonics developed IP-001, a new drug that is intended to use the tumor antigens to remove the cancer’s ability to hide from the immune system. “Think of IP-001 as a sticky molecule that retains critical tumor information and activates multiple types of immune cells in the right way,” said Dr. David Anderson, Immunophotonics Chief Scientific Officer.

IP-001 is the first immune-activating tool in the emerging field of Interventional Immuno-Oncology™ (IIO), a field pioneered by Immunophotonics. IIO integrates energy medicine with a specialized form of immunotherapy, which brings several intended benefits in the treatment of cancer. This includes enhanced tumor targeting with local and systemic control of the cancer in a personalized therapy that initiates immediately, thereby saving precious time and cost over other approaches.

With our innovative approach, these standard treatments could be transformed into powerful immunotherapies, turning every procedure into an opportunity to mobilize the body’s natural immune system against cancer.

“Currently, millions of tumor ablation procedures are performed worldwide, yet they only scratch the surface of their potential. With our innovative approach, these standard treatments could be transformed into powerful immunotherapies, turning every procedure into an opportunity to mobilize the body’s natural immune system against cancer. Quite frankly, we are on the brink of a major breakthrough that could transform the lives of cancer patients worldwide, bringing new hope to patients globally,” concludes Lu Alleruzzo, CEO Immunophotonics.