On February 5, 2026 PhotonPharma Inc., a biopharmaceutical company pioneering personalized cancer immunotherapies, reported that patient recruitment has opened for its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating Innocell in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. The trial for Innocell, the investigational product, is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT06366490.
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The clinical trial, being conducted in collaboration with City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, represents a significant milestone in developing a novel therapeutic approach that harnesses patients’ own tumor cells to stimulate targeted immune responses against their cancer.
"We are excited to begin enrolling patients in this groundbreaking trial," said Raymond P. Goodrich, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of PhotonPharma. "Innocell represents a fundamentally different approach to cancer immunotherapy, presenting the complete spectrum of tumor antigens to the immune system, potentially overcoming the challenge of tumor heterogeneity that limits the effectiveness of many existing treatments."
About the Clinical Trial
The Phase 1 study will assess the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of Innocell in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. The trial is designed to evaluate real-time safety profiles and measure immunologic responses following treatment with the investigational autologous cellular immunotherapy.
Addressing a Critical Unmet Medical Need
Ovarian cancer represents a significant public health challenge, with approximately 20,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the United States and approximately 13,000 deaths per year. Approximately 70-80% of patients are diagnosed at Stage III or IV, and the five-year survival rate remains approximately 50%. Despite advances in surgical techniques and chemotherapy regimens, recurrence rates remain high, with approximately 50% of patients experiencing relapse within three to five years following initial treatment.
"Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer face limited curative treatment options. City of Hope is conducting translational research to address even the most challenging cancers," said Mihae Song, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Surgery at City of Hope and principal investigator for the trial. "PhotonPharma’s approach offers a promising new avenue that could potentially help these patients by activating their own immune systems to recognize and attack cancer cells."
The Innocell Technology Platform
Innocell is an autologous cellular immunotherapy that utilizes a proprietary photochemical inactivation process involving ultraviolet light and riboflavin (vitamin B2), the same technology platform originally developed for pathogen inactivation in blood products, currently used globally. This process renders tumor cells replication-incompetent while preserving their metabolic activity, and upregulating protein expression and antigen presentation capabilities.
The patented technology enables customized treatment within approximately one week at scale, significantly faster than many current autologous cell therapies. Following tumor harvest through surgery or biopsy, cells are treated with the photochemical inactivation process and combined with an adjuvant to enhance immune activation. The processed cells are then administered intradermally to stimulate comprehensive immune responses, including activation of both cellular (T-cell mediated) and humoral (antibody-mediated) immunity.
Trial Participation Information
Patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer who are interested in learning more about participation in this clinical trial should contact City of Hope or visit ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06366490) for detailed eligibility criteria and enrollment information. The study is seeking adult patients (≥18 years old) with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer who have received at least 1 line of platinum-based systemic therapy and for whom single-agent therapy is appropriate as the next line of treatment.
(Press release, PhotonPharma, FEB 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234662518])