Tag Archives: Cancer
BioSante’s Pancreas Cancer Vaccine Shows over 60% Survival Increase in Newly Presented Study.
BioSante Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX – News)
today announced presentation of results from a Phase Ib clinical study that show
its GVAX Pancreas cancer
vaccine increased the median survival of pancreatic cancer patients with
previously treated, locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma
(PDA), from 3.3 months when treated with ipilimumab (IPI; Yervoy; BMS), to 5.5
months on the combination of IPI plus GVAX Pancreas, an increase of more than 60
percent. The study was not powered for a direct comparison. In addition, the
IPI/GVAX Pancreas combination demonstrated an increase in one year survival,
from 7 percent to 27 percent. A new multicenter clinical study is planned to
begin this year.
A poster titled, “Phase 1b Study of Ipilimumab Alone or in Combination with
Allogeneic Pancreatic Tumor Cells Transfected with a GM-CSF Gene in Pancreatic
Cancer,” was presented at the 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium by Dung T.
Le, et al, lead investigator at Johns Hopkins University. The abstract of the
poster is in the Journal of Clinical Oncology 30, 2012 (suppl 4; abstr 211). The
primary endpoint was to determine the safety profile of IPI alone or in
combination with GVAX and the secondary endpoints were overall survival and
toxicity, and the induction of mesothelin specific T cell responses. Toxicities
were manageable. In addition, the postimmunotherapy induction of
mesothelin-specific T cells in patients correlates with disease-free survival.
The investigators concluded that, “Immunotherapy has potential even in advanced
PDA.”
The 30 patient Phase Ib study was conducted by researchers at the Sidney
Kimmel Cancer Center of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the
Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore, Maryland. BioSante’s
Pancreas cancer vaccine is made from allogeneic pancreatic cancer cells
genetically modified to produce an immune system stimulator, the cytokine
GM-CSF, and irradiated to prevent cell growth. BioSante already has received
Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for its
GVAX Pancreas cancer vaccine.
“We are very excited by the positive results of this study. This is
encouraging news concerning potential GVAX cancer vaccines, especially when combined with other
anticancer immunotherapies like IPI, for treatment of a disease that can be so
devastating for so many patients,” said Stephen M. Simes, BioSante’s president
& CEO. “Besides pancreatic cancer, Johns Hopkins researchers also are
investigating the use of BioSante’s cancer vaccines for the treatment of several
different forms of cancer, including leukemia, breast cancer, prostate cancer
and melanoma. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with this
well-respected research institute as further studies are conducted.”
About Pancreatic Cancer
3 Cancer Immunotherapy Biotechs With Catalysts For 2012
By Chemistfrog:
With 2011 drawing to a close, biotech investors reflect on a year witnessing cataclysmic events such as the rise of Medivation (MDVN) from January’s $ 14 a share market cap of $ 489 million to Tuesday’s close of $ 41.65 and market cap of $ 1.45 billion as well as the demise of the mighty Dendreon (DNDN) falling from April’s $ 43 a share with a market cap $ 6.55 billion to Tuesday’s close of $ 7.21 with a market cap of $ 1.07 billion. Investing in the biotech industry has its rewards along with its risks. Entrances into MDVN or DNDN at the proper times along with wise exits would have reaped phenomenal rewards. However, gains would have been minimal for the former with devastating losses for the latter if long entrances and exits were improper.
Upcoming catalysts for three relatively unknown biotechs can lead to huge gains for investors with the savvy to open positions before
