Diakonos Oncology Corp., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on innovative cancer immunotherapies, will showcase preliminary data from its Phase I clinical trial of DOC1021, a novel cell-based immunotherapy, at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 40th Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, from November 5-9, 2025. The presentation will highlight early results from the trial targeting resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, a cancer with significant unmet treatment needs.
DOC1021 is a first-of-its-kind immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own dendritic cells, combined with tumor-derived mRNA and proteins from fresh tumor samples. This unique double-loading approach aims to mimic a viral infection, triggering a robust immune response to target the full spectrum of cancer antigens. Unlike other therapies, DOC1021 requires no molecular modification of immune cells, preconditioning chemotherapy, or high-dose IL-2, enabling straightforward outpatient administration and accessibility through community cancer centers.
The company has reported encouraging early data, building on prior success in glioblastoma trials. Diakonos has also initiated a Phase 2 study for glioblastoma and secured FDA Fast Track designations for both its pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma programs in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Additionally, the glioblastoma program received Orphan Drug Designation in January 2024.
The poster presentation, led by William Decker, PhD, from Baylor College of Medicine, is scheduled for November 8, 2025, in the Prince George ABC Exhibit Halls at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Diakonos Oncology continues to advance its proprietary dendritic cell therapy platform to address aggressive and late-stage cancers, with a mission to revolutionize cancer treatment.
