EpiThany

What EpiThany does

EpiThany, Inc. is a Seattle-based, privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2014 to consolidate the discovery technology and clinical-stage assets of the University of Washington's Cancer Vaccine Institute. The company develops DNA plasmid-based tumor vaccines engineered to drive Th1-selective, tumor-eradicating immune responses without stimulating competing Th2 tumor-tolerant responses, with a multi-antigen platform intended to address the limitation that only an estimated 20% of solid tumor patients have sufficient tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to respond to checkpoint inhibition alone. Its disclosed clinical pipeline consists of EP-101 STEMVAC, a multi-antigen Th1-selective DNA vaccine in a Phase 1 dose-ranging study in HER2-negative advanced breast cancer and being advanced into a Phase 2 combination trial with avelumab, and EP-201, a single-antigen ovarian cancer vaccine that entered Phase 2 testing in 2017. The portfolio is anchored by a patent portfolio licensed from the University of Washington that covers three clinical-stage assets and several pre-clinical programs.

EpiThany does not sell directly to end customers; instead, it pursues a partnership-driven business model in which its vaccine candidates are advanced through licensing collaborations and strategic clinical development agreements with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Its most significant disclosed commercial relationship is an exclusive 2017 collaboration with the Merck KGaA (EMD Serono in the US/Canada) and Pfizer alliance to evaluate avelumab in combination with EP-101 STEMVAC in breast cancer, alongside a multi-product licensing collaboration with Aston Sci. Co. Ltd. extending the company's reach into Asia. Revenue, if any, would derive from licensing fees, milestone payments, and potential royalties under these agreements, with end markets being patients with breast, ovarian, colorectal, and other solid tumors served through pharma partners' commercialization channels.

Leadership combines scientific founder Dr. Nora Disis, a pioneering cancer vaccine researcher and Editor-in-Chief of JAMA Oncology, with operational leadership including Founder/CEO Bill Watt and President David Poston, who joined as COO in 2016 from the Allen Institute and Targeted Genetics. No external funding rounds, venture capital backing, or revenue figures are disclosed in the available source materials, and the company is best characterized as a pre-revenue, asset-light biotech monetizing its licensed IP through a small number of high-value pharma partnerships.

Name

EpiThany

Legal name

EpiThany, Inc.

Website

https://epithany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

EpiThany is a Seattle-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing Th1-selective DNA plasmid tumor vaccines, including EP-101 STEMVAC for breast cancer and EP-201 for ovarian cancer, and monetizing its licensed University of Washington patent portfolio through strategic licensing and clinical collaborations with large pharmaceutical partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Immunotherapy

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic Vaccines (cancer, chronic infection immunotherapy) (HLAAAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vaccine Technology Platforms (mRNA, viral vector, protein subunit, inactivated/live-attenuated, VLP, DNA) (HLAAAEAD), Therapeutic Vaccines (e.g., Cancer/Chronic Infection) (HLAIAEAG), Vaccine Clinical Development & Regulatory Affairs (HLAIAEAM), Plasmid DNA & mRNA Manufacturing Services (HLAAAKAE)

Keywords

• Cancer immunotherapy
• DNA plasmid vaccines
• Tumor vaccine development
• Th1-selective epitopes
• Immuno-oncology therapeutics

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Partnership Revenue: EpiThany generates revenue through licensing collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including multiple-product licensing agreements and strategic partnerships for clinical development.
2. Clinical Development Partnerships: Strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical companies such as Merck KGaA and Pfizer for co-development and clinical evaluation of combination therapies, with EpiThany responsible for conducting clinical trials.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EpiThany develops Th1-selective, multi-antigen DNA plasmid cancer vaccines that drive tumor-eradicating immune responses without stimulating competitive Th2 tumor-tolerant responses. Its clinical-stage pipeline includes EP-101 STEMVAC (a multi-antigen vaccine for breast cancer, evaluated in combination with avelumab in a Phase 2 trial) and EP-201 (a single-antigen vaccine for ovarian cancer entering Phase 2 testing). The company licenses technology from the University of Washington Cancer Vaccine Institute and partners with pharmaceutical companies for clinical development and commercialization.

Product overview

EpiThany is a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of anti-cancer immunotherapy for robust tumor-targeted T-cell immunity. The company develops tumor vaccines that drive Th1 (tumor-eradicating) immune responses without stimulating competitive Th2 (tumor-tolerant) responses. Their technology enables targeting of multiple tumor antigens across a spectrum of cancers. The core products include EP-101 STEMVAC (a multi-antigen DNA vaccine for breast cancer) and EP-201 (a single antigen vaccine for ovarian cancer), both delivered as DNA plasmid treatments that stimulate selective production of inflammatory T cells for coordinated tumor-eradicating response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EP-101 STEMVAC T-helper Type 1 (Th1)-selective, multi-antigen DNA vaccine designed to induce a robust and targeted anti-tumor immune response for breast cancer. Evaluated in combination with avelumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in women with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy prior to surgical resection. Preclinical results demonstrated ability to induce cytotoxic immune response to vaccine antigens and efficacy in breast cancer models.
• EP-201 Single antigen DNA vaccine product candidate for ovarian cancer, designed to provide targeted anti-tumor immune response leveraging EpiThany's Th1-selective vaccine technology platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Preclinical results demonstrated ability to induce cytotoxic immune response to vaccine antigens and efficacy in breast cancer models
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2017EpiThany entered into a collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA (operating as EMD Serono in US/Canada) and Pfizer to evaluate avelumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) in combination with EP-101 STEMVAC in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in women with breast cancer. This is an exclusive agreement. EpiThany is responsible for conducting the Phase 2 clinical trial targeting approximately 84 patients, expected to begin Q1 2018.
• Aston Sci. Co. Ltd.majorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDavid Poston secured a multiple-product licensing collaboration with Aston Sci. Co. Ltd. as part of business development partnerships with companies based in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
• University of Washington - Cancer Vaccine InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpiThany was founded in 2014 to consolidate discovery technology and clinical-stage assets from the Cancer Vaccine Institute at University of Washington. The Institute, founded by Dr. Nora Disis in 1998, has deployed over $80 million in research funding. EpiThany built on these successes and advanced the intellectual property portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Inovio Pharmaceuticals: Inovio is a clinical-stage DNA medicine company developing DNA-based immunotherapies and vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases, most directly comparable to EpiThany's DNA plasmid cancer vaccine platform. Both companies use plasmid DNA delivery to drive antigen-specific immune responses in oncology indications.
• Moderna: Moderna is a leading mRNA therapeutics company with a significant oncology vaccine pipeline including personalized neoantigen programs (mRNA-4157) in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. Comparable as a clinical-stage cancer vaccine developer targeting the same patient population that EpiThany addresses with its Th1-selective platform.
• BioNTech: BioNTech develops mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies including FixVac and individualized neoantigen programs, and acquired Neon Therapeutics to expand its cancer vaccine pipeline. Direct competitor in the therapeutic cancer vaccine space targeting solid tumors with combination strategies involving checkpoint inhibitors.
• Gritstone bio: Gritstone develops neoantigen-based cancer immunotherapies including self-amplifying mRNA and viral vector vaccines targeting solid tumors, directly comparable to EpiThany's therapeutic cancer vaccine mission. Both are clinical-stage companies pursuing novel vaccine modalities to overcome checkpoint inhibitor resistance in solid tumor patients.
• Vical: Vical is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing plasmid DNA vaccines and gene-based therapies for cancer and infectious diseases. Historically one of the closest comparables to EpiThany given its use of DNA plasmid technology to drive therapeutic immune responses against tumors.

Broad incumbents

• Agenus: Agenus is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing checkpoint antibodies, vaccine adjuvants, and cell therapies, including partnerships for combination approaches in solid tumors. Comparable as a broader immuno-oncology player with overlapping combination-therapy strategies against the same patient population EpiThany targets.
• ImmunoCore: ImmunoCore is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing TCR-based immunotherapies (ImmTAC molecules) for cancer and infectious diseases, with a focus on solid tumors. Comparable as a broader immuno-oncology incumbent pursuing T-cell-driven anti-tumor immunity with overlapping solid tumor indications.
• Bavarian Nordic: Bavarian Nordic is a larger vaccine and immuno-oncology company developing platform-based immunotherapies including cancer vaccines and immune-modulating therapies. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the cancer vaccine space with greater resources and a wider product portfolio than EpiThany.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb: Bristol-Myers Squibb is a major oncology company and the leading checkpoint inhibitor franchise holder (Opdivo, Yervoy), with active combination-therapy programs in solid tumors. Comparable as the dominant incumbent whose checkpoint inhibitor drugs form the combination backbone EpiThany's vaccines are designed to enhance.

Emerging players

• Genexine: Genexine is a clinical-stage Korean biotechnology company developing DNA vaccines and immunotherapies including GX-188E for HPV-related cancers, directly comparable to EpiThany's DNA plasmid cancer vaccine technology. Less capitalized and primarily Asia-focused, but uses the same DNA vaccine modality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EpiThany