Platforms (The Science)

What if your body’s immune system could be taught to fight cancer at the tumor site?

What if your immune system created a vaccine response that protected against infectious diseases without needing a virus or device to deliver it?  

Most of us know DNA as the building block of life. It codes for everything, for all the proteins in our bodies.  

At Imunon, we’re pioneering the use of DNA as a therapeutic that codes for proteins which our body then uses to produce medicine where you need it, for as long as you need it. 

We’ve created an innovative non-viral DNA platform with proprietary synthetic delivery systems and multiple potential indications, starting with a clinical focus on immuno-oncology and infectious diseases.

3D model of a transparent cell

TheraPlas™

TheraPlas™ is a novel, nonviral delivery system for the development of immunotherapies and other anti-cancer nucleic acid-based therapies.

We’re bringing it to market focused on aggressive, hard to treat cancers, starting with advanced ovarian cancer. 

There are 300,000 new diagnoses of Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) per year globally, 20,000 patients in the US alone¹, with 80% of diagnoses occurring in the late stage and a high recurrence rate. 

Our IMNN-001 product is built on the TheraPlas™ platform, and targets the micro-environement of ovarian cancer via local production of safe and durable levels of a powerful anti-cancer immune agent, IL-12.

PlaCCine

PlaCCine is a novel platform for the development of nucleic acid vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer that leverages a multivalent approach and non-viral DNA technology to generate a robust humoral immune response as well as a robust and durable T-cell response.

More than 80 pathogenic viruses have been discovered since 1980, but less than 4% have a vaccine commercially available.²

That’s where the PlaCCine platform comes in…

Our team is developing an array of prophylactic vaccines, with strong evidence of immunogenicity and durability of protection.

3D model of coronavirus
close up of dna code

FixPlas

Our FixPlas platform is focused on the development of universal cancer vaccines, and we’ve initiated pre-clinical work for IMNN-201, which will develop a Trp2 tumor associated antigen cancer vaccine in melanoma. 

IndiPlas

Our IndiPlas platform is focused on the development of personalized (neoepitope) cancer vaccines, and we’re preparing to initiate pre-clinical work for IP-Y.

virus and antibodies
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¹Source: Cancer Statistics, American Cancer Society; Globocan; SEER database. Global Cancer Statistics 2022, CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74:229-263

²Sources: Institute of Medicine (US) Forum on Microbial Threats(2009); Medscape Medical News(2008); Lederburg, J. Emerging Infectious Diseases from the Global to the Local Perspective: A Summary of a Workshop of the Forum on Emerging Infections(2001); National Institute of Health(US) Biological Sciences Curriculum Study(2007); Holshue, M. et al. NEJM (2020); Bush, L. Emerging… and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases(2015); Gibbs, AJ.Virology(2009); CDC Zika Overview; CDC Ebola About; Plotkin, S.A. Clinical Infectious Diseases(2006); Woolhouse, M.et al.PhilTransRSoc(2012);WHO H7N9 China Update(2018);Tapparel,C. et al. Virology(2013); Hepatitis B Foundation.History Page; Ho,

Jeffrey W. Church

interim Chief Financial Officer

Jeffrey W. Church joined Imunon in July 2010 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Church was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Imunon in July 2013. The appointment marked Mr. Church’s resumption of the role of Chief Financial Officer, a position he held prior to his promotion to Senior Vice President in July 2011, while also granting him responsibility for corporate investor relations. In 2018, Mr. Church was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary and where he served in this capacity until his retirement in June 2024. In January 2026, Mr. Church was appointed interim Chief Financial Officer. He has over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, and SEC reporting. Prior to joining Imunon, Mr. Church held senior financial executive positions with several private and public clinical-stage life science companies, including Alba Therapeutics Corporation, Novavax, Inc., GenVec, Inc., and Meridian Medical Technologies, Inc. Mr. Church started his career in 1979 with the public accounting firm Price Waterhouse. Mr. Church holds a BS degree from the University of Maryland and received his Maryland Certified Public Accountant accreditation in 1979.

Khursheed Anwer, PhD, MBA

Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer

Khursheed Anwer, PhD, MBA, assumed the title of Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer, upon Imunon’s June 2014 acquisition of EGEN, Inc., where he was President and Chief Science Officer, a position he held since 2009. He joined EGEN, Inc. in July, 2002, as Vice President of Research and Development, and directed the company’s clinical and research and development functions throughout his tenure at EGEN, Inc. Dr. Anwer has a PhD in Physiology/Pharmacology from Ohio University and received postdoctoral training from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Before joining EGEN, Inc., Dr. Anwer was Director of Pre-Clinical Development at Valentis, Inc. From 1993 to 1999, he served in several positions at GeneMedicine, Inc., where he led several research projects in the area of nonviral gene therapy. He has authored more than 40 publications in the area of nonviral gene therapy, resulting from his active career in research and development. Dr. Anwer has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Biology Department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a board member of the University of Alabama Business School, STEP.

Sebastien Hazard, M.D.

Executive vice president & chief Medical officer

Dr. Sebastien Hazard, M.D. was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Imunon in December 2023.  Prior to joining Imunon, Dr. Hazard served as Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development at Bicycle Therapeutics plc from April 2021 through September 2023.  Prior to joining Bicycle Therapeutics, Dr. Hazard served as Clinical Development Lead at GSK from June 2019 to April 2021.  He also served as Senior Medical Director of Clinical Development from July 2018 to May 2019, and Senior Medical Director of Global Medical Affairs from August 2016 to July 2018 at TESARO, Inc.  Dr. Hazard held various positions within Genentech including Medical Director in Lung Cancer of US Medical Affairs from November 2012 to July 2016.  Earlier in his career Dr. Hazard served as an advisor to the head of the French Drug Agency and to the French Health Minister’s cabinet.  Dr. Hazard holds a Doctorate in Medicine, Internal Medicine and Public Health from Paris VI Pitie Salpetriere an Executive MBA from INSEAD and Master’s degree in epidemiology and statistics applied to clinical research from Paris VI University.