For more than 50 years, UI Pharmaceuticals (UIP), a strategic asset of the University of Iowa (UI) College of Pharmacy, has served as a reliable source for contract pharmaceutical manufacturing and testing. Its mission is clear and unwavering: to improve quality of life by applying pharmaceutical expertise to advance research and bring life-saving medicines into clinical trials and commercial markets.

That mission has never been more urgent. According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, Iowa had the fastest-growing cancer rates in the country in 2024—and ranks second nationally in overall cancer incidence, behind only Kentucky. Brain tumors and other central nervous system cancers are a growing concern, with approximately 900 new cases diagnosed in Iowa each year.

In this context, UI Pharmaceuticals’ recent partnership with MimiVax is especially significant. UIP is manufacturing SurVaxM — a novel immunotherapeutic vaccine designed to treat glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer — for use in clinical trials.

“This collaboration combines MimiVax’s innovative research with UIP’s expertise in formulation development and sterile production, accelerating the path to potentially transformative therapies for patients,” said Ryan Moreno, director of manufacturing operations at UIP.

That momentum is also felt in the community. THRIVE — a nonprofit brain cancer support group based in Eastern Iowa — recently hosted its 5th Annual Walk to Cure Brain Cancer. The event was spearheaded by Jennifer Winterhof, whose husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2021. The effort continues to grow each year. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude and joy,” said Winterhof. “Thank you for making this year one of the best yet!”

MimiVax reports that SurVaxM demonstrated safety and tolerability in both a Phase I trial with patients experiencing recurrent or progressive malignant glioma and a Phase II trial in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. The vaccine recently completed a Phase II trial at several leading cancer centers across the United States. 

Broad Range of Services

SurVaxM is just one of many breakthrough therapies UIP has supported. Other recent projects include:

• An emergency medicine for cardiac arrest — where every second counts.
• A continuous drug-delivery system for a debilitating neurological condition.
• A stable lyophilized injection for Alzheimer’s disease.
• A promising new therapy targeting cerebral ischemia, now in development.

UIP typically supports more than 10 innovative products annually — each designed to address conditions with limited or no current treatment options.

Bindu Gottam, director of Pre-formulation and Formulation Development at UIP, leads a team focused on making these innovations viable and scalable.

“Each project represents hope for patients facing difficult diagnoses,” said Gottam. “Over 95% of our work addresses unmet medical needs. While development is long and complex, hearing from clients about positive clinical outcomes reminds us why this work matters.”

With new, advanced manufacturing lines now online, UIP is positioned to do even more.

“We can now produce commercial-scale sterile batches as large as 200 liters,” said Marlow Hicks, managing director of UIP. “This expansion gives us capacity for over two million sterile filled vials and one million lyophilized vials annually.”

Those new lines also meet the latest requirements from both the FDA and European regulatory agencies, enabling UIP’s clients to pursue global market approvals.

“The additional capacity allows us to start a client at clinical scale and continue with them through commercial launch,” Moreno added.

With more than five decades of experience in cGMP manufacturing, analytical testing, and development, UIP continues to be a sought-after partner in pharmaceutical innovation.

“By creating powerful synergies —combining academic rigor with clinical insight, cutting-edge research with real-world implementation — we’re not just developing medicines,” said Gottam. “We’re helping shape a new model for translational research that delivers real impact for patients and the healthcare system alike.”