INGN, 42% on this -
WASHINGTON, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A report of final phase 1 and initial phase 2 evaluation of Introgen Therapeutics' (Nasdaq: INGN - News) anti- cancer drug INGN 241 was presented during a scheduled press conference at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy. The trial results in patients with solid tumors demonstrate that INGN 241 is well tolerated, that the agent is biologically active, and importantly, minimal toxicities are associated with the treatment. Introgen's chief medical officer, Dr. James Merritt, was invited to present these data at the press conference.
"Introgen's belief that INGN 241 is one of the most promising anti-cancer gene drugs in clinical development today has been validated repeatedly in our studies, and we are gratified that our research has been highlighted as newsworthy by the ASGT review committee," said Dr. Merritt.
Previous studies show that INGN 241 causes cancer cells to die and the MDA-7 protein released from the tumor cells may stimulate the immune system to attack additional metastatic tumor cells. A phase 1 study confirmed that INGN 241 is safe and that the MDA-7 protein is active, and importantly, has a wide area of biological effect within injected tumors. In the phase 1 dose- escalating study, tumors from patients treated with the higher dose of the therapy were observed to have the MDA-7 protein in up to 80 percent of cells. The cancer therapeutic has the potential to trigger the human immune system to attack cancer cells. Increases in killer T cells were observed following treatment. To date, in the phase 2 study, although no tumor has responded after a single dose, tumors in two patients regressed after as few as two doses. Complete regression was noted in a melanoma. Regression was also noted in a case of squamous cell cancer.
INGN 241 consists of the human mda-7 gene in Introgen's proprietary adenovirus vector. The mda-7 gene was discovered by the laboratory of Dr. Paul B. Fisher, professor of clinical pathology and the Michael and Stella Chernow Urological Cancer Research Scientist in the Departments of Neurological Surgery, Pathology and Urology at Columbia University. Introgen holds an exclusive worldwide license from the Corixa Corporation.
Introgen is a leading developer of biopharmaceutical products designed to induce therapeutic protein expression using non-integrating gene agents for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Introgen maintains integrated research, development, manufacturing, clinical and regulatory departments and operates a commercial-scale, CGMP manufacturing facility... |
