Metaclipse Therapeutics

Metaclipse Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology firm specializing in the development of immunotherapies for cancer treatment and vaccines for infectious diseases. The company was established in 2011 as a spin-off from Emory University, founded by Professor Periasamy Selvaraj, Ph.D., who now serves as the Chief Scientific Officer. His research at Emory laid the groundwork for the company's core technology. Shaker J.C. Reddy, M.S., is the co-founder and President of the company.

The company's business model is centered on developing its proprietary technology platforms and advancing them through clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of commercializing its products through licensing agreements with major pharmaceutical companies. Metaclipse targets the oncology market, specifically focusing on cancers that are difficult to treat. The company generates revenue through research grants from institutions like the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), which have provided significant funding for its clinical programs.

Metaclipse's primary product is Membrex™, a personalized cancer immunotherapy platform. This autologous therapy involves creating 'membrane vesicles' from a patient's own tumor tissue. These vesicles are then modified with immunostimulatory proteins. When injected back into the patient, Membrex™ delivers a broad range of patient-specific tumor antigens along with these immune-boosting proteins, stimulating the patient's immune system to attack the cancer cells. This approach is designed to overcome tumor heterogeneity and is being evaluated as both a monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to enhance response rates, particularly in ICI-resistant cancers. The company is also developing the VaxRex™ platform for infectious disease vaccines, which uses virus-like particles combined with membrane-anchored adjuvants to elicit a strong immune response.

Significant milestones include obtaining exclusive worldwide rights to the platform technology from Emory University in March 2019. The company has received multiple Investigational New Drug (IND) clearances from the FDA. In April 2023, it received clearance for a Phase 1 trial of Membrex™ for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), followed by a second IND clearance in August 2023 for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patient enrollment for these Phase 1 trials is anticipated to begin in 2025. Metaclipse has secured substantial non-dilutive funding, including a $2 million grant from the NCI in September 2021 and a $6 million grant from CPRIT in November 2024 to support its clinical trials.

Keywords: cancer immunotherapy, personalized medicine, biological adjuvants, Membrex platform, autologous vaccine, triple negative breast cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, clinical-stage biotech, Periasamy Selvaraj, Shaker J.C. Reddy, Emory University spin-off, VaxRex, immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor membrane vesicles, oncology therapeutics, cancer vaccines, solid tumors, infectious disease vaccines, preclinical studies, FDA IND clearance