Catavax is a new Danish biotech company specialising in the development of innovative therapeutic vaccines for cancer treatment.

An Innobooster grant from Innovation Fund Denmark now enables Catavax to accelerate vaccine development with a focus on breast cancer.

While preventive vaccines such as the HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines are already an important part in reducing cancer risk, there are still no approved therapeutic vaccines that can treat cancer after the disease has occurred.

The ambition is to develop a future vaccine that activates the body’s own immune system to fight existing cancer cells. The core of the technology is a targeted activation of CD4 T cells, a central type of white blood cell, which enables the body to recognise and attack cancer cells.

The Innobooster project has the potential to push the boundaries of modern cancer treatment and provide patients with a more gentle treatment by utilising the body’s own natural defence mechanisms.