PDS Biotechnology Corporation, in Lawrenceburg, Ind., is just one of the region’s biopharmaceutical companies doing potentially groundbreaking work in the area of cancer treatment.
PDS specializes in immunotherapy in treating cancers such as melanoma and cancers caused by the HPV-virus (including cervical cancer). These cancers are some of the country’s most lethal. Today a vaccine exists to protect girls from HPV before they are exposed, but it doesn’t treat the virus or HPV-linked cancers in women. PDS is working to provide that treatment through a therapeutic vaccine.
“Merck has Gardasil and it’s quite effective as a preventative vaccine, but it’s not effective once someone is exposed to the virus. HPV is very widespread, and the technology we are applying is for a cure for HPV and cancer. No treatment exists today,” said Dr. Frank K. Bedu-Addo, PDS President and CEO.
PDS was founded by a team of biotechnology veterans who have expertise in drug development and biotechnology company management. Members have previously developed anticancer and infectious disease drugs and commercialized these drugs. It was founded in 2005.
The company’s platform Versamune nanotechnology is being applied to these and other immunotherapies to treat both cancer and infectious diseases. The first Versamune-based product, Versamune-HPV is human clinical trials in 2010. It could be on the market by 2015, Bedu-Addo said.
PDS’ platform is also designed to bring down the costs and raise the potency and safety of immunotherapy as well.
In June, PDS moved its offices from Cincinnati to Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The company had debated moving from Greater Cincinnati to Indianapolis, but decided to stay in through a collaborative incentive effort of the the State of Indiana, the City of Lawrenceburg and Dearborn County. The PDS Company moved into the Ivy Tech facility on Industrial Drive, Lawrenceburg.
“We wanted to stay in the Greater Cincinnati area so it worked out very well,” Bedu-Addo said.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Dr. Frank K. Bedu-Addo, PDS President and CEO
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