IGXBio

IGXBio, Inc. operated in the biotechnology sector with a specific focus on developing advanced DNA immunotherapies. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Fairway, Kansas, the company aimed to address the significant medical need for new HIV infection treatments. The core of its research and development was a proprietary DNA composition designed to synthetically mimic the HIV virus. This approach intended to provoke an immune response from the body, offering a potentially less toxic alternative to the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies (HAART) that constitute standard care.

The company's lead product candidate, known as GenePro®, was developed as a therapeutic DNA-based vaccine. The goal for GenePro® was to enable Structured Therapeutic Interruption (STI), a strategy where patients could pause their standard HAART medication while the therapeutic vaccine stimulates their immune system to control the virus. By generating viral-like particles, the treatment was designed to 'wake up' the immune system, allowing it to recognize and suppress the proliferation of the virus. The business model was centered on the creation of proprietary assets and subsequent out-licensing, a common strategy in the biopharma industry where a smaller firm develops a drug to the proof-of-concept stage before partnering with a larger pharmaceutical company for full-scale development and commercialization.

Throughout its operational history, IGXBio was a private entity that successfully raised capital to fund its research initiatives. It secured its first angel investment in 2006 and was a portfolio company of Mid-America Angels. The company reached a significant milestone by filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commence human trials for GenePro®. Despite these efforts and raising a total of $25.4M in funding, public records indicate that IGXBio has ceased operations as of June 2022.

Keywords: DNA immunotherapy, HIV treatment, therapeutic vaccine, biotechnology, GenePro, drug discovery, viral-like particles, structured therapeutic interruption, HAART alternative, immune response, Mid-America Angels, Investigational New Drug, DNA composition, life sciences, genetics, genomics, biopharma, clinical trials, angel investment, pharmaceutical development