Business Wire

invoX Pharma Increases Investment in pHion Therapeutics to Further Develop Next Generation of mRNA Vaccines

Share

invoX Pharma Limited (“invoX”), a U.K.-based wholly-owned subsidiary of Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited (“Sino Biopharm”) (HKEX 1177 HK) with an advancing pipeline of innovative products, today announced that it has completed a second tranche of investment in pHion Therapeutics (“pHion”), a next-generation mRNA vaccine company. The transaction supports invoX’s strategy to be a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company and its ongoing commitment to deliver innovative life-saving therapies

pHion is developing a pipeline of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines focussed on oncology and infectious diseases. The company’s proprietary RALA platform can deliver anionic molecules such as mRNA and saRNA in a stealth-like way, evading detection, to generate a potent antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell response. The RALA peptide-based drug delivery system is based on a sequence of 30 amino acids which condenses anionic cargo, irrespective of size, into nanoparticles that are highly efficient at cellular entry and can outperform currently available technologies. Compared with traditional mRNA vaccine delivery platforms, the RALA platform has the added advantage of ease of scalability and logistics, including stability at room temperature.

Under the leadership of CEO and Founder, Prof Helen McCarthy, pHion has made significant progress since invoX’s initial investment in June 2021, with advances made across all pre-clinical programs and the establishment of a laboratory in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the production of pHion’s mRNA vaccines. The additional investment will support growth of the company’s proprietary RALA platform with an immediate focus on the advancement of pHion’s lead project, PTX_V1, into clinical trials in the first half of 2024. PTX_V1 is a first-in-class therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related cancers. Infection with HPV is responsible for approximately 90% of cervical cancers and up to 70% of oropharyngeal cancers, with a high unmet clinical need. pHion’s pipeline also includes differentiated therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of ovarian (PTX_V5) and prostate (PTX_V3) cancers.

This investment has received all required regulatory approvals, including clearance from the regulatory agency in charge of enforcing the U.K.’s National Security and Investment Act, testimony to invoX’s continued willingness to build trust and work closely with regulators.

Prof. Helen McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of pHion, said:

“At pHion Therapeutics, it is our mission to pioneer next generation, first-in-class vaccines for infectious disease and oncology through stealth-like delivery of mRNA. With the additional support from invoX, we are set to accelerate our lead candidate, PTX_V1, to be ready for the clinic in 2024 and further develop our exciting preclinical pipeline of therapeutic and prophylactic mRNA vaccines. mRNA vaccines have the potential to truly transform healthcare interventions globally, and pHion will be at the forefront of this transformation, enabled by the RALA platform delivery technology.”

Ben Toogood, Chief Executive Officer of invoX, said:

“We are delighted to have completed this additional investment in pHion. invoX’s resources, global reach and innovative R&D platform can help the company reach its potential and deliver treatments for patients around the world suffering from cancer and infectious diseases. We look forward to seeing PTX_V1 reach the clinic and supporting this program into the next stages of its development.”

About pHion

pHion Therapeutics is a UK based vaccine development company, with a pipeline of therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines focussed on oncology and viral infections. The company’s proprietary RALA platform can deliver nucleic acids in a stealth-like way, evading detection, to generate a potent antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell response. pHion’s lead product is a therapeutic vaccine against HPV driven cancers (PTX_V1), with Phase I/IIA clinical trials planned to commence in 2024.

For further information about pHion Therapeutics, please visit: https://www.phiontx.co.uk.

About invoX

invoX Pharma was incorporated in March 2021 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sino Biopharm, a global top 40 pharmaceutical company with more than 24,000 employees. UK-based invoX is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focusing on R&D and business development activities outside of China, with a core focus on oncology and respiratory therapeutics. invoX’s main goal is to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of innovative products addressing unmet healthcare needs worldwide. At its core, the Company aspires to improve patients’ lives by creating access to innovative medicines.

For further information about invoX Pharma, please visit: https://invoxpharma.com/.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

Enquiries:
FTI Consulting (PR adviser to invoX Pharma)
Julia Bradshaw, Rob Winder, Sam Purewal
Tel: +44 (0)20 3727 1000
E-mail: invoxpharma@fticonsulting.com

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Spatial Releases 2025 1.0.1 with Enhancements for CAD Translation, Model Simplification, and Mesh Preparation for Manufacturing and Simulation2.5.2025 17:47:00 EEST | Press release

Spatial Corp., the leading software development toolkit provider for design, manufacturing and engineering solutions and a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, announces the 2025 1.0.1 release and updates across several product lines, reaffirming its commitment to providing innovative solutions for its customers in domains ranging from CAD to simulation, manufacturing, and beyond. The 2025 1.0.1 release delivers expanded functionality designed to streamline manufacturing and simulation workflows. Key highlights include a new custom feature detection API in ACIS for more efficient model simplification, expanded CAD format support—including STEP AP242 PMI writing—and continued enhancements to hidden-body removal. With this release, Spatial reduces manual tasks, increases fidelity in geometry translation, and strengthens its toolset for automated design-to-manufacture and design-to-simulation pipelines. 3D ACIS Modeler Custom Feature Detection (Beta): Model simplification often requires manua

Decent Cybersecurity Joins the Council of Slovak Exporters to Strengthen European Cybersecurity Exports2.5.2025 16:51:00 EEST | Press release

Decent Cybersecurity, a leading European provider of post-quantum security solutions, announces its membership in the Council of Slovak Exporters (CSE), reinforcing its commitment to expanding advanced cybersecurity exports across global markets. This strategic partnership combines Decent Cybersecurity's expertise in critical infrastructure protection with CSE's established export promotion platform. As a company holding national, EU, and NATO "Secret" level security clearances, Decent Cybersecurity brings specialized knowledge in post-quantum security, blockchain technology, and space traffic management solutions to the Council's network. "Joining the Council of Slovak Exporters represents a significant opportunity to strengthen Slovakia's position in the global cybersecurity market," said Matej Michalko, Founder and CEO of Decent Cybersecurity and a long-term expert on post-quantum cryptography and blockchain. "As cyber threats continue to evolve, our advanced solutions are increasin

Saudi Arabia Hosts EDGEx 2025, Pushing the Boundaries of Education2.5.2025 16:29:00 EEST | Press release

Saudi Arabia has taken another step forward in its educational reform journey with the successful conclusion of the International Education Exhibition (EDGEx), held from April 13–16, 2025. Organized by the Ministry of Education, the event convened education leaders, technology developers, and policymakers from around the world under the theme “Beyond Readiness.” This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250502190798/en/ Saudi Arabia Hosts EDGEx 2025, Pushing the Boundaries of Education (Photo: AETOSWire) Over four days, EDGEx welcomed more than 20,000 local and international visitors, including government representatives, senior educators, academics, business leaders, and professionals in the field. The exhibition served as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and cross-sector collaboration—bringing together institutions, companies, and decision-makers to explore how education and training can evolve in a rapidl

IFF Announces Tender Offers for Certain Outstanding Series of Notes2.5.2025 16:10:00 EEST | Press release

IFF (NYSE: IFF) announced today the commencement of tender offers to purchase for cash certain of its outstanding series of notes listed in the tables below (collectively, the “Notes”) for an aggregate purchase price, excluding accrued and unpaid interest, of up to $1.8 billion. Pool 1 Tender Offers Pool 1 Maximum Amount: $1.0 billion(1(a)) Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Principal Amount Outstanding(in millions) Acceptance Priority Level(2) Series Tender Cap(3) U.S. Treasury Reference Security Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread(4) Early Tender Payment (4)(5) 1.230% Senior Notes due 2025 459506AN1 U45950AE9 $1,000 1 $500 million 5.000% UST due 9/30/25 FIT3 + 0 bps $30 1.832% Senior Notes due 2027 459506AP6 U45950AF6 $1,200 2 $300 million 3.750% UST due 4/30/27 FIT1 + 75 bps $30 2.300% Senior Notes due 2030 459506AQ4 U45950AG4 $1,500 3 N/A 3.875% UST due 4/30/30 FIT1 + 110 bps $30 4.450% Senior Notes due 2028 459506AK7 US459506AK78 $400 4 N/A 3.750% UST due 4/15/28 FIT1 + 95 bps $30 Poo

Heidrick & Struggles Appoints a New Managing Partner for Their CEO & Board Practice in Europe and Africa2.5.2025 11:27:00 EEST | Press release

Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII), a premier provider of executive search, global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, has appointed Kati Najipoor-Smith as Regional Co-Managing Partner, CEO & Board Practice, for Europe and Africa. Based at the Firm’s office in Frankfurt, Germany, Kati brings decades of global executive search and consulting experience to the Heidrick & Struggles team to support boards and CEOs in navigating complex leadership challenges. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250501269229/en/ Kati Najipoor-Smith has been appointed Heidrick & Struggles' Regional Co-Managing Partner, CEO & Board Practice, for Europe and Africa Kati began her executive search career at Egon Zehnder in 1999, where she led Global Automotive and later the Global CEO Practice over several years. She advises chairs and CEOs of publicly traded, family-owned, and private-equity-backed companies across sectors

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye