The Malaghan Institute has been awarded more than $5M
funding in the Ministry for Business, Innovation and
Employment’s 2025 round of the Endeavour Fund for a
collaboration with the Auckland Cancer Society Research
Centre based at the University of Auckland to investigate
novel methods to improve patient responses to
immunotherapies for lung cancers.
Immune checkpoint
inhibitors have revolutionised cancer treatment in recent
years. The immunotherapy works by blocking the ‘off
signals’ on T-cells – keeping these cancer-killing
immune cells fighting cancer, for longer. They are used as a
standard treatment for many cancers, including lung, breast
and skin cancer.
Despite the success of immune
checkpoint inhibitors, many patients don’t respond to the
therapy, or the immune response is too weak to completely
remove the tumour. The Malaghan Institute’s Hermans Lab
and the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre will be
exploring novel immune-stimulant molecules to use alongside
immune checkpoint inhibitors to boost their effectiveness
and improve patient outcomes.
“This work
represents decades of combined experience in creating
immunotherapies and targeting therapeutics selectively to
tumours,” says Professor Ian Hermans. Through our efforts
we have designed a number of promising candidates that boost
the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in
preclinical studies for lung
cancer.”
Over three years, the team led
by Professor Hermans and Associate Professors Adam Patterson
and Jeff Smaill from the Auckland Cancer Society Research
Centre, aims to gather enough preclinical data on compounds
that support immune checkpoint inhibitors, with the goal of
attracting commercial investment in a spin-out company to
support a phase 1 clinical trial.
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“We hope the
scientific data generated will take our immuno-oncology
product into first-in-human studies, with the ultimate goal
of improving lung cancer treatment outcomes in Aotearoa New
Zealand,” says Prof Hermans.
The Endeavour Fund
supports excellent research that can transform New
Zealand’s economy, environment and society. In the 2025
round, nineteen new research programmes and one additional
smart ideas project were awarded funding totalling $184.82
million over the next three to five
years.
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