Clinical Trials
New clinical results support telomerase vaccination in breast cancer
Summary: US
scientists have published promising clinical data on vaccination
with a telomerase peptide in breast cancer. The peptide is claimed
in Pharmexa's granted European patent.
HØRSHOLM, Denmark, Nov. 1, 2007-A group
of prominent scientists from the Abramson Cancer Center and the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has published new
clinical data on vaccination with the telomerase peptide I540 in 19
metastatic breast cancer patients. The results were published in
the recent edition of the scientific journal Cancer Research
(Cancer Research; 67: (21). November 1, 2007).
The results show that vaccination with the I540
telomerase peptide led to changes in the tumor microenvironment,
infiltration of T-cells and widespread tumor necrosis (tumor
death). Furthermore, an exploratory analysis revealed that the
median overall survival was significantly longer in those patients
who achieved an immune response to the I540 peptide compared to
patients who did not. Immune responses to a control peptide did not
correlate with survival.
The I540 telomerase peptide and its use in
cancer immunotherapy is claimed in Pharmexa's granted European
patent. This and other claims on a number of telomerase peptides
including GV1001 were recently upheld by the Appeal Board of the
European Patent Office.
Jakob Schmidt, CEO of Pharmexa says: "Evidence
of the importance of telomerase as a target for immunotherapy
against a wide range of cancers continues to mount. This supports
our ongoing efforts with GV1001 in pancreatic, liver and lung
cancer. Whereas the I540 peptide is restricted to use in a selected
group of patients with the correct genetic background (HLA-A2),
GV1001 is designed to work in all patients".
Hørsholm, November 2, 2007
Jakob Schmidt
Chief Executive Officer
Additional information:
Jakob Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer,
telephone +45 4516 2525
Claude Mikkelsen, Vice President, Corporate
Affairs and Communication, telephone +45 4516 2525 or +45 4060
2558
Note to
editors: Pharmexa A/S is a leading company
in the field of active immunotherapy and vaccines for the treatment
of cancer, serious chronic and infectious diseases. Pharmexa's
proprietary technology platforms are broadly applicable, allowing
the company to address critical targets in cancer and chronic
diseases, as well as serious infectious diseases such as HIV,
influenza, hepatitis and malaria. Its leading programs are GV1001,
a peptide vaccine that has entered phase III trials in pancreatic
cancer and phase II trials in liver cancer, and HIV and hepatitis
vaccines in phase I/II. Collaborative agreements include H.
Lundbeck, Innogenetics, IDM Pharma and Bavarian Nordic. With
operations in Denmark, Norway and USA, Pharmexa employs
approximately 105 people and is listed on the Copenhagen Stock
Exchange under the trading symbol PHARMX.
