Diakonos Oncology

Diakonos Oncology Corporation is a clinical-stage biotechnology firm focused on developing immunotherapies for aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company is built upon research from leading institutions like Baylor College of Medicine. The leadership team includes CEO Mike Wicks, President and COO Jay Hartenbach, and CSO William Decker, PhD. Dr. Decker, an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, provides the foundational scientific expertise, while Mr. Hartenbach brings a blend of scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial experience from previous ventures in biotech and wellness. The company operates in the immuno-oncology market, developing personalized cancer vaccines for patients with late-stage cancers.

The company's core technology is a patient-derived dendritic cell vaccine, with its lead candidate named Dubodencel (DOC1021). This therapy's distinct feature is a proprietary "double-loading" technique that combines a patient's own tumor lysate (proteins) and amplified tumor-derived mRNA into their dendritic cells. This process is designed to mimic a viral infection, triggering a powerful and comprehensive TH1 immune response that targets the full spectrum of the patient's cancer antigens. A key benefit of this approach is that it avoids the need for genetic modification of immune cells or toxic preconditioning, offering a potentially safer treatment profile. The vaccine is administered through a series of injections into deep cervical lymph nodes, a method intended to generate a faster and more robust immune response.

Diakonos is advancing DOC1021 through multiple clinical trials. The therapy has received FDA Fast Track designation for treating glioblastoma (GBM) and pancreatic cancer, as well as Orphan Drug Designation for the GBM program. The company completed enrollment for its Phase I trial for glioblastoma in late 2023 and is proceeding with a Phase II trial. Clinical trials are also underway for pancreatic cancer and angiosarcoma. To fund these developments, Diakonos has secured significant financing, including an $11.4 million seed round and a subsequent $20 million SAFE financing, backed by investors such as the Restem Group, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Brain Tumor Investment Fund.

Keywords: cancer immunotherapy, dendritic cell vaccine, glioblastoma treatment, pancreatic cancer therapy, autologous cell therapy, DOC1021, dubodencel, clinical-stage biotechnology, immuno-oncology, personalized medicine, cancer vaccine, TH1 immune response, double-loading technology, FDA Fast Track, Orphan Drug Designation, solid tumor treatment, refractory melanoma, angiosarcoma, cellular therapy, Baylor College of Medicine