The European Investment Bank has signed a EUR20m loan agreement with ISA Pharmaceuticals, a company that develops targeted, rationally designed immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer and persistent virus infections.

It was reported yesterday that the contract has been signed for the support of the development of ISA Pharmaceuticals' therapy for cancers caused by the Human Papillomavirus type 16. The European Investment Bank's financing is supported under the 'Infectious Diseases Finance Facility'of the InnovFin – EU-finance for innovators programme, which is financed from the EU's research and innovation programme Horizon 2020.

ISA Pharmaceuticals has produced a novel therapy, ISA101b, which is aimed at HPV16-positive cancers through the specific activation of the patient's own immune system. The company says that the treatment has proven to be safe with no serious side effects, and has showcased substantial benefit for patients, when used in addition to present treatment in advanced stages of the head and neck cancer and cervical cancer. ISA101b represents a unique and innovative treatment modality. It is designed to fight HPV16 driven premalignant conditions and early stage cancers as monotherapy, and metastatic malignancies when given together with standard of care.