Friday June 25, 7:59 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Biomira Inc.
Biomira and Biovector Announce National Cancer Institute's Initiation Of Phase I Trials With Patient-Specific Cancer Vaccines
EDMONTON, Alberta and TOULOUSE, France, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomira Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOM; Toronto, Montreal: BRA) and Biovector Therapeutics, a private company focused on drug delivery systems, today announced the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) initiation of patient treatment in a Phase I clinical trial at the US National Cancer Institute treating B-cell lymphoma patients with an idiotypic vaccine strategy originally developed by Biomira. This novel treatment uses vaccines, which are specific to each individual patient, incorporating the unique immunoglobulin idiotype, a specific protein to that patient's cells. The vaccine is intended to trigger an immune attack directed specifically to the cancer cells.
Last year Biomira and Biovector Therapeutics signed an agreement to co-develop this cancer vaccine strategy. Biomira's activities under this agreement include a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the NCI. The principal investigator of the Phase I trial is Larry Kwak, M.D., Ph.D., an internationally known specialist in B-cell malignancies and a pioneer in lymphoma vaccine development at the NCI.
''We are pleased that this novel vaccine strategy is moving into the clinic,'' said Alex McPherson, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Biomira. ''We are pleased to now be moving forward, in association with Biovector Therapeutics and the NCI, with this new program involving another therapeutic cancer vaccine and we are impressed by Biovector Therapeutics' expertise in this area,'' concluded McPherson.
The objective of this clinical trial is to establish safety and immune response profiles of the idiotypic vaccines. The hope is that the immune response induced will alter the course of disease. The trial will involve 10 patients with follicular lymphoma who have undergone chemotherapy and achieved either full remission or a 90% partial response. The vaccine will be administered via subcutaneous injection over a five month period.
Biomira's idiotypic lymphoma vaccines contain a patient-specific tumour antigen obtained from the patient's own cancer cells, combined with IL-2, a potent immune enhancer, encapsulated in a liposome for more effective delivery. A liposome is a fat droplet smaller than a red blood cell.
''By combining the technologies and expertise of our two companies we believe we are both in a position to benefit and to develop a product that has a strong potential for efficacy,'' commented Emile Loria, M.D., President and CEO of Biovector Therapeutics. ''We hope to contribute to extending and improving the lives of patients with B-cell malignancies.''
Biovector Therapeutics has developed unique technologies for delivery of biological products called ''Biovector Systems,'' designed to improve the efficacy of biotech products including DNA encoding for antigenic proteins in vaccine applications and blood-circulating proteins in cases of deficiency. The company is mainly focusing on treatment of cancer and infectious diseases through curative or immunotherapy approaches. Biovector Therapeutics concentrates its efforts in the development of modern vaccines taking into account all the components for an efficient immune response. In the field of gene therapy, the company dedicates its efforts to the delivery of DNA encoding for antigenic proteins in vaccine applications and blood circulating proteins in case of deficiency.
Biomira is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to cancer management. The Company's lead product candidate, THERATOPE® vaccine, is currently in a large-scale multinational Phase III trial for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The Company has also confirmed safety and immunogenicity with BLP25 vaccine in a Phase I trial for lung cancer. The commitment to the treatment of cancer currently focuses on the development of synthetic vaccines and novel strategies for cancer immunotherapy. We are the Cancer Vaccine People(TM).
This release may contain forward-looking statements. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, including those predicting the timing of clinical trials or the efficacy of products. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the Company's expectations are correct. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Cautionary Statement.
SOURCE: Biomira Inc.
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