Biomira's BLP25 Liposome Technology
Shows Strong Promise In Dendritic Cell Therapy
Phase I Clinical Trial Results Submitted for Presentation at American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting in May, 2000
EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Biomira Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOM - news;
Toronto: BRA - news) announced in a recent publication (Agrawal et al, Rapid induction of primary human CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses against cancer-associated MUC1 peptide epitopes, ``International Immunology' 10: 1907, 1998) that potent primary anti-MUC1 T-cell responses could be generated in vitro following incubation of normal human antigen presenting cells (APCs) with BLP25 liposomes followed by the addition of autologous T-cells to the
culture.
More recent data presented at the Society for Biological Therapy Annual Meeting in Boston held this past October (Budzynski et al, Immunogenicity and Antitumor Activity of MUC1 Based Vaccine, Liposomal BLP25) (Journal of Immunology 22(5): 454-471, Volume 22, No 5, 1999) demonstrated that following ex vivo incubation of pre-clinical APCs with BLP25 liposomes, these liposomes ``fed' APCs injected into tumour bearing mice were able to generate anti-MUC1 CTL's and prolong the survival of the mice.
A new potential therapy for cancer treatment uses Dendritic Cells (DC) which are thought to be the most potent APCs and to be the major cells involved in triggering T-cell responses. This field is rapidly growing and is showing a lot of promise in many pre-clinical studies and in
early results from clinical trials. In these trials, white blood cells are removed from the patient and are treated ex vivo with cytokines for extended periods of time (usually 10-11 days) and the resulting DCs are fed with cancer antigen just prior to re-infusion into the patient.
Biomira's scientists, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Edinburgh Department of Oncology, the University of Glasgow Academic Transfusion Medicine Unit and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, believe they have found that Biomira's BLP25 liposome formulation is a very efficient way to stimulate anti-MUC1 T-cells which may produce a strong cellular anti-cancer immune response in a shorter period of time than conventional methods of
vaccination. The data on laboratory maturation of DC using Biomira's liposomal encapsulated MUC1 was recently presented at the American Association of Blood Banks Meeting held in San Francisco, November 6-10, 1999 by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Services Cell
Therapy Group.
Biomira's and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service's pre-clinical data prompted a Phase I clinical trial using DC fed with liposomal BLP25. The Phase I clinical trials are ongoing in patients with metastatic breast cancer, conducted by the University of Edinburgh and
the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, and an abstract has been submitted for presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting, to be held in New Orleans in May, 2000.
A method was developed to produce immature DCs from peripheral blood monocytes of normal donors in three days. ``This simple DC culture technique may act as a cellular adjuvant to Biomira's liposomal BLP25 vaccine,' said Dr. Marc Turner, University of Edinburgh and Scottish Blood Transfusion Service. ``These mature DCs are thought to stimulate immune cells more efficiently and this simple technique may augment the clinical response to liposomal
BLP25 vaccine,' concluded Dr. Turner.
``Because most of the common human cancers express MUC1 at a high level, where its expression is often associated with a poor prognosis, Biomira's scientists have developed an
important niche for the Company. We could also use this DC therapy to boost the immune system of cancer patients before following up with one of our vaccines such as BLP25. With no major side effects, it should be welcomed by the vast majority of patients,' stated Alex McPherson,
MD, PhD, President and CEO. ``Biomira's efficient DC-Liposome technology could in theory be
applied to other cancer antigens, as well as infectious disease applications. Therefore, the
Company intends to seek an interested party to move this product further in clinical trials,' he
concluded.
Biomira is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative therapeutic
approaches to cancer management. The Company is currently enrolling up to 950 patients in a
multinational Phase III trial with THERATOPE© vaccine, as well as developing a portfolio of
complementary vaccine candidates, including BLP25 for non-small cell lung cancer, now in
Phase II trials. The commitment to the treatment of cancer currently focuses on the development
of synthetic vaccines and novel strategies. We are The Cancer Vaccine People(TM).
SOURCE: Biomira Inc |
