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Biotech / Medical : Oncothyreon -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: StockMiser who wrote (918)	6/26/1999 10:20:00 AM
From: bc_mack	Respond to of 2344

Scientific American article on DNA-specific vaccines sciam.com

To: StockMiser who wrote (918)	6/26/1999 10:37:00 AM
From: bc_mack	Respond to of 2344

Dr. Kwak's Prior Project July 31, 1997 HEADLINE: Genzyme Transgenics' Cancer Vaccine Produces Immune Response in Multiple Myeloma Patients; Clinical Trial Will Be Accelerated Under New Agreement Genzyme Transgenics Corp. (Nasdaq: GZTC) today announced that its idiotypic cancer vaccine produced a tumor-specific immune response in four of five multiple myeloma patients treated in a phase I clinical trial being conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The tumor-specific response experienced by patients in the trial indicates the vaccine's potential ability to reduce or eliminate residual cancer in patients who have not responded toother therapies. Based on these preliminary results, the company will accelerate vaccine production and patient enrollment for an expanded phase I clinical trial under a new agreement with UAMS. Idiotypic cancer vaccines contain proteins derived from a patient's own tumor. Results of the trial were recently presented at the Sixth International Workshop on Multiple Myeloma. FRAMINGHAM, Mass., July 31 "These results demonstrate that idiotypic vaccines can produce anti-tumor immunity in myeloma patients who have partially or completely responded to prior chemotherapy and transplantation," said Larry W. Kwak, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator at the NCI, who vaccinates patients in the trial. "The new agreement between Genzyme Transgenics and UAMS allows us to vaccinate a greater number of myeloma patients and gives us the hope of improving and sustaining these immune responses." The new agreement, which is an adjunct to the existing Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Genzyme Transgenics and the NCI, will allow the company to manufacture myeloma vaccines for at least 30 patients this year. Genzyme Transgenics has produced 28 individual, patient- specific vaccines since 1994. "These results give us further reason to believe that idiotypic vaccines may provide a uniquely effective approach to the treatment of myeloma and other incurable blood malignancies," said James A. Geraghty, Genzyme Transgenics' president and chief executive officer. "This agreement reflects Genzyme Transgenics' commitment to expand its production facilities and processes for cancer vaccines under the terms of our CRADA with the NCI." Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that is caused by an over- proliferation of plasma cells. This type of cancer often spreads to the bone marrow. Current treatment involves transplanting a patient's own blood stem cells into the blood stream, coupled with a high dose of chemotherapy. This therapy can induce an initial complete response in 40 to 50 percent of newly- diagnosed myeloma patients, but many patients experience disease relapse. In addition to assessing safety, investigators in the phase I trial also hope to determine whether inoculating patients with idiotypic vaccines both before and after transplantation can induce sustained anti-tumor immunity that would eliminate any contaminating myeloma cells present in the transplant material or that remain in the patient. If the vaccines work, they could increase the chances for sustained complete response to the transplant. "These findings are important because we can now combine autologous transplantation, which we know can induce remissions in some myeloma patients, with a therapy that may reduce or eliminate residual disease," said Bart Barlogie, M.D., Ph.D.,UAMS's chief of hematology and oncology. Genzyme Transgenics chose UAMS as the trial site because researchers there transplant autologous stem cells into a substantial number of multiple myeloma patients each year. Genzyme Transgenics is a biotechnology company focused on biopharmaceutical development through transgenic production of genetically engineered therapeutic products; specialized contract research services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and other companies; and the production of cancer vaccines. Genzyme Corp. owns approximately 43 percent of the outstanding stock of Genzyme Transgenics and has allocated these shares to Genzyme General (Nasdaq: GENZ). This press release contains forward-looking statements about the potential efficacy of idiotypic vaccines for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Actual results may differ materially from these projections, depending on the results of this and subsequent clinical trials. Genzyme's releases are on the World Wide Web at genzyme.com They are also available from Genzyme's fax-on-demand service at 1 (800) 436-1443 within the United States or 1 (201) 521-1080 outside the United States. Source: Genzyme Transgenics -- Contact: Patricia F. Dimond, Ph.D., 1 (508) 270-2374 , or Cheryl Greenhouse, 1 (617) 252-7785, both of Genzyme Transgenics