Maverix Oncology is a clinical-stage biotechnology company creating new treatments for cancer. Its research focuses on small molecule drugs designed to combat a wide range of cancers by addressing limitations in existing treatments.
The Maverix Approach to Cancer Therapy
Maverix Oncology developed a proprietary technology platform based on Conditionally Activated-Small Molecule Drug Conjugates (CA-SMDCs). This approach uses prodrugs, which are inactive drug formulations that only become active under specific biological conditions. The activation is linked to the unique metabolic environment of tumors, which overexpress enzymes called hydroxylases.
These enzymes, abundant in and around tumor cells but not in healthy tissue, act as a trigger. They recognize and cleave a masking component on the prodrug, converting it to its fully active, cancer-fighting form. This targeted activation concentrates the drug’s effects within the tumor, which is intended to minimize damage to healthy cells and reduce the side effects associated with traditional chemotherapy.
The platform, also referred to as IMPACT-2X, is designed to directly target tumor cells and modulate the tumor immune microenvironment. By eliminating immunosuppressive cells that can hinder an immune response, the therapy aims to create a more favorable environment for the patient’s own immune system to attack the cancer. This dual action represents a multi-faceted strategy for treatment.
The design of these small-molecule drug conjugates may offer advantages over other drug conjugates that use larger antibodies. The smaller size can allow for better penetration into dense solid tumors, potentially reaching more cancer cells. By focusing on the metabolic signature of tumors, this therapeutic strategy is intended to be applicable across a broad spectrum of cancer types.
Developing Targeted Cancer Drugs
Using its conditionally activated platform, Maverix Oncology is developing a pipeline of targeted cancer drugs. These programs are in various stages of preclinical testing and pair the delivery system with different therapeutic payloads to treat different kinds of cancers. The versatility of the platform allows it to be paired with different types of anti-cancer agents to address a wide array of malignancies.
The main programs in the pipeline include:
- MVX-505: A nucleoside phosphate prodrug being developed for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. Nucleoside analogues are a class of drugs that interfere with the replication of DNA, a process highly active in rapidly dividing cancer cells.
- MVX-600 series: This series utilizes a nucleotide analog payload and is being investigated for use in metastatic cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer. Nucleotide analogs function similarly to nucleoside analogs but at a different stage of the DNA synthesis pathway.
- MVX-700 series: Carries an auristatin-based payload, a potent agent that disrupts the cellular structure, and is aimed at metastatic urothelial cancer.
- MVX-800 series: This program is being developed with a camptothecin analog payload for metastatic breast cancer.
Clinical Development and Trials
Maverix Oncology’s drug candidates are in the preclinical stage of development. They are undergoing extensive testing to gather the necessary data to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, which is a prerequisite for starting human trials. The company’s lead programs, including MVX-505 and others in the MVX series, are at this preclinical or IND-enabling stage.
Phase 1 clinical trials are the first step in human testing and are focused on evaluating the safety of a new drug, identifying side effects, and determining a safe dosage range. Maverix has projected that its lead candidate, MVX-505, will be ready to enter a first-in-human Phase 1a dose-escalation study. The company has publicly targeted the first quarter of 2025 for the initiation of this trial.
While Maverix’s programs have not yet reached later-stage trials, the planned entry into Phase 1 is a forward step in its development. Data from a 2019 funding round was intended to advance the lead program at the time into a Phase 1 trial by the end of 2020, but development timelines have since been updated.
Corporate History and Key Partnerships
Maverix Oncology was founded by a team of experienced biotech entrepreneurs and scientists focused on oncology drug development. A Series A financing in 2019 that raised $6.5 million from investors like PPF Group and SOTIO provided the capital to advance its proprietary platform and lead drug candidates.
The corporate identity of Maverix has evolved. Publicly available information suggests that Maverix Oncology was acquired by Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on developing controllable cellular immunotherapies. Following this, Triumvira Immunologics, a clinical-stage company specializing in T-cell therapies for solid tumors, announced that it had completed a merger with Bellicum Pharmaceuticals. This series of corporate consolidations places Maverix’s original technology under a new organizational structure.
Prior to these mergers, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals had its own partnerships and corporate maneuvers. The company entered into agreements with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, including the sale of its Houston-based manufacturing facility to the cancer center in 2020. This move was part of a strategic plan for Bellicum to reduce operating expenses while securing manufacturing capacity for its clinical trial materials.
These corporate transitions are important for understanding the current status of the technologies originally developed by Maverix. The science behind the conditionally activated prodrugs is now part of the broader portfolio of Triumvira Immunologics. Triumvira’s own focus is on its T-cell Antigen Coupler (TAC) technology, a different approach to cancer therapy, suggesting that the Maverix platform may be integrated into a larger oncology-focused enterprise.