UbiVac Showcases First 'Dark Matter' Cancer Immunotherapy Data at SITC 2025

DPV-001, first cancer vaccine derived from the human dark genome, shows improved survival in head and neck cancer and reveals more than 400 new antigen targets.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD, UNITED STATES, November 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- UbiVac, https://www.ubivac.com/ a private, clinical-stage immuno-oncology and cancer target discovery company, announced new data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2025 Annual Meeting highlighting its first-in-class “Dark Matter” cancer vaccine, DPV-001.

Summary:
At SITC 2025, UbiVac unveiled data showing that DPV-001, the first dark genome–derived cancer immunotherapy in the clinic, improved two-year overall survival in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) when combined with checkpoint inhibitors. The company also detailed over 400 dark genome–derived antigens incorporated in the vaccine, underscoring its potential to broaden the antigenic landscape for cancer immunotherapy.

Expanding the reach of Cancer Immunotherapy
DPV-001 is built on UbiVac’s DRibble Platform Vaccine (DPV) technology and is designed to stimulate a broad, multi-antigen immune response against both conventional and dark genome–derived tumor antigens. The investigational vaccine is the first therapy known to target the “dark matter” of the cancer genome—regions once thought to be non-coding DNA but now known to produce tumor-specific proteins.

“For decades, large portions of the genome were dismissed as ‘junk DNA,’” said Dr. Bernard A. Fox, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at UbiVac. “We now know this dark genome encodes hundreds of novel cancer antigens. DPV-001 is the first therapy designed to leverage this biology, expanding the antigenic landscape that immunotherapy can target.”

About DPV-001
Each dose of DPV-001 includes more than 400 noncanonical, shared ‘dark matter’ antigens and 300 overexpressed tumor antigens found across most solid cancers. The vaccine is designed to be:
• Off-the-shelf, requiring no patient-specific manufacturing; and
• HLA-independent, enabling broad use without tissue matching.
The platform is being developed for combination use with checkpoint inhibitors across multiple tumor types, including lung, breast, prostate, brain/GBM, and colorectal cancers.

Clinical Context
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally, with approximately 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths annually. UbiVac’s data suggest that combining DPV-001 with anti–PD-1 therapy could enhance survival outcomes in this population, independent of HPV status or prior checkpoint inhibitor exposure.

About UbiVac
UbiVac is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on immuno-oncology and cancer target discovery. The company develops multi-antigen immunotherapies designed to prevent tumor escape and improve response rates to checkpoint inhibitors. Its lead program, DPV-001, is advancing as the first-in-class “Dark Matter” cancer vaccine.
For more information, visit www.ubivac.com.

Bernard A. Fox
UbiVac
+1 971-413-7139
foxb@ubivac.com
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