Hespecta

Hespecta is an investigational therapeutic cancer vaccine developed by the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) for the treatment of HPV16-positive malignancies, including oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and head and neck cancers. The vaccine is composed of two synthetic long peptides (SLPs) derived from the HPV16 E6 oncoprotein (residues 71–95 and 127–158), each covalently conjugated to Amplivant, a synthetic Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) ligand. This conjugation is designed to enhance antigen presentation by dendritic cells and stimulate a robust T-cell response against HPV16-expressing tumor cells. In Phase I clinical trials, Hespecta demonstrated safety and the ability to induce strong HPV16-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses when administered intradermally.

Brand names

Hespecta

Other names

Amplivant-conjugated HPV16 E6 peptide vaccineHPV E Six Peptide Conjugated To Amplivant