Pharmexa starts phase II trial in liver cancer
The first patient has been treated in the HeptoVax phase II trial of GV1001 in liver cancer, being initiated by Danish group Pharmexa following receipt of the required approvals in France, Spain and Germany.
The first patient has been treated in the HeptoVax phase II trial of GV1001 in liver cancer, being initiated by Danish group Pharmexa following receipt of the required approvals in France, Spain and Germany.
The HeptoVax trial is a phase II trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of GV1001 in advanced liver cancer. The trial will enrol patients from three centres in Spain, France and Germany.
Dr Jordi Bruix from the Liver Unit at Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, investigator in the HeptoVax study and a leading expert in the treatment of liver cancer says: "The use of new agents such as GV1001 represents interesting pathways for developing better treatments of liver cancer. If GV1001 lives up to its promise, it may become a cornerstone in the future treatment of this dreaded disease. Its mode of action is new and it appears to be without significant side effects."
GV1001 is in phase III in pancreatic cancer and now also in phase II in liver cancer. In the next few months, the Rigshospitalet-Radium Hospitalet in Norway plans to start a phase II trial in lung cancer.
GV1001 is a cancer vaccine targeting telomerase. The peptide vaccine activates the immune system - primarily the immune system's T-cells to recognize and kill cancer cells. Telomerase is seldom found in normal cell types but is over expressed in most cancer cells. Jakob Schmidt, ceo of Pharmexa said: "We have chosen a broad development strategy for GV1001 because we believe the vaccine has the potential to change the way we treat cancer in the future."
Depending on the speed at which patients can be recruited, it is hoped that results from the trial will be available in the first half of 2008.