Bio: 

Ashley Kalinauskas is Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Torigen Pharmaceuticals, a company that is focused on personalized cancer immunotherapy for the veterinary market. Ashley graduated from the University of Connecticut with an undergraduate degree in Pathobiology, and continued her studies at the University of Notre Dame with a master’s degree in Engineering, Science, and Technology Entrepreneurship. Her education provided her with the business skills necessary to translate inventions into commercial ventures, like Torigen Experimental Autologous Cancer Vaccine (TEACV)! This start-up company resulted from her graduate thesis project, and is based upon the research of her former University of Notre Dame professor, Dr. Mark Suckow.

Abstract: 

Autologous Approaches to Cancer Immunotherapy in the Veterinary Market

Immunotherapy directs a patient’s own immune system to initiate robust and specific anti-tumor activity, and is fundamentally changing what it means to fight cancer. Tissue vaccines consist of material harvested directly from a patient’s own tumor, including cancer cells that present a rich assortment of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) unique to in vivo growth, as well as extracellular matrix, fibroblasts, inflammatory cells and blood vessels. The collected tissue is deactivated and combined with an adjuvant, matrix immune modulator (MIM) that stimulates a Th1 mediated immune response. We will discuss the preclinical data, safety, efficacy and complementary approaches that Torigen is implementing in the immuno-oncology space.