Cerus considers immunotherapy spin off

Cerus considers immunotherapy spin off

Cerus Corporation has said it is considering making changes to its immunotherapy unit including partnering the business or creating a possible spin off. The company said it will consider several possible business structures, including partnering some or all of the programs within its immunotherapy business with companies having established programs in immunology or in cancer and infectious disease indications. Cerus said it may even spin out the business for an equity interest in a newly-formed immunotherapy company.

Cerus said the corporate realignment could provide more resources for its blood safety business.

In the field of immunotherapy, the company is employing an attenuated listeria vaccine platform to develop a series of therapies to treat cancer and chronic infectious diseases.

Cerus currently has three cancer immunotherapeutic product candidates, one of which entered phase I human clinical trials in 2006. The company has also developed a technology platform, called killed but metabolically active, or KBMA, for application to vaccines against infectious diseases, including hepatitis C and HIV, and certain oncology indications.