Oxford Vacmedix is a bio-pharma company that was spun out from the University of Oxford’s Department of Oncology and is utilising the novel proprietary platform technology of recombinant overlapping peptides (ROPs) invented by Professor Shisong Jiang. ROPs have been validated as a technology to stimulate broad and strong T cell immunity therefore forming a good platform for therapeutic vaccines and diagnostics in cancer and infectious diseases.
The technology uses the novel, proprietary platform of ROPs to design and develop therapeutic cancer vaccines and diagnostics with the potential for increased efficacy, lower costs, simpler regulatory pathways and synergy when used in combination with other immune oncology (IO) agents. The company has extensive contacts and collaborations in China through Changzhou Bioscience Group (CBIG) that is using the ROP platform for diagnostics in both cancer and in infectious diseases.
The Pipeline
OVM is developing two lead vaccines, OVM-100 and OVM-200, focusing on unmet clinical need. OVM-100 is an HPV vaccine targeted at cervical cancer, and OVM-200 represents a new type of vaccine utilising survivin to target solid tumours including prostate, ovarian and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Both vaccines will be tested as single agents and in combination with IO agents. OVM has a strong pipeline, with a diagnostic for anti-microbial resistance being tested and two other cancer vaccines is preclinical development.
Clinical Development
OVM-200, Oxford Vacmedix's lead cancer vaccine, is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. The trial is focused on safety and on establishing an immune response in patients with three tumour types – non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. Phase 1a results showed excellent safety records and a strong immune response. The MHRA have approved an extended dose protocol in Phase 1b. The first patient began this extended dose regime of 11 vaccinations over 6 months on the 20th of February 2025.
The trial is being run at four sites in the UK including the Sarah Cannon Institute and University College Hospital (UCH) in London, the Churchill hospital of the Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust (OUHFT) and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. Patient recruitment completed 17th June 2025, with 24 patients being recruited in only 3 months since Phase 1b began.
Looking forwards
The company is currently seeking Series B funding of up to $10m to advance OVM-200 to be Phase 2 ready and OVM-100 to be Phase 1 ready, for clinical trials as monotherapy and also in combination. The company has recently been awarded a partnership grant form Innovate UK for the clinical development of OVM-200.
