Avanti Therapeutic’s core technology is based on Nucleic Acid Mediated Cytotoxic Immunotherapy. The lead agent is an adenoviral vector that encodes the gene for Herpes Simplex thymidine kinase (AV-tk).  It is injected into the tumor and followed by an orally administered anti-herpetic pro drug.  The combination of AV-tk and the pro drug works through local and systemic mechanisms to attack local and distant tumor sites:

The pro drugs are phosphorylated and converted into cytotoxic metabolites that lead to termination of DNA synthesis during cell division and tumor growth, &/or during DNA repair, after radiation or chemotherapy damage.  This kills the targeted cells, surrounding tumor cells and fast growing tumor blood vessels (anti-angiogenesis).

AV-tk protein is a powerful antigen that in combination with surgery or radiation effectively stimulates a potent anti-tumor immune response.  The therapy stimulates multiple steps essential for a potent immune response, rather than only a subset of the required steps as used by previous only moderately effective immunotherapy attempts. The therapy includes the following:

      a. It exposes tumor-associated antigens

      b. It promotes effective antigen presentation to the immune cells, and

      c. It stimulates an immense amplification of the number of tumor-specific T-            cells. 

Avanti Therapeutic's oncology platform currently has following products in development.

                  A.        Prostate Cancer

                  B.       Solid Tumors (Lung  Cancer)

                  C.       Pancreatic Cancer