MVA-HPV-IL2 vaccine shows activity in phase II HPV clinical trial.

2004 APR 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Transgene (TRGNY) announced encouraging results from the phase II clinical trial of its MVA-HPV-IL2 vaccine candidate in patients with human papilloma virus (HPV)-related disease.

"The data we collected from our phase II program points to a very interesting new approach to the treatment of HPV-related affections," stated Jean-Francois Carmier, chief executive officer of Transgene.

"We believe in the potential of our product candidate as a therapeutic vaccine and we are extending its evaluation into both cervical dysplasia and the earlier stage of silent HPV infection."

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, infecting almost 300 million women worldwide. HPV type 16, one of the High-Risk HPV types (HR-HPV), is responsible for more than half of all cervical cancers. Most infected people spontaneously eliminate their viral infection within 6 to 12 months.

Patients who do not eliminate their virus and develop long-lasting HR-HPV infection are at greatest risk of developing cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality by cancer in women worldwide, causing about 470,000 deaths per year, 80% of which occur in under-developed countries.

In countries where screening programs are in place, the risk of cancer is reduced because pre-cancerous, asymptomatic lesions such as High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN2/3) are detected and then excised by a surgical procedure called conisation.

The progression from silent, persistent HPV infection to CIN2/3 and then to cervical cancer takes several years. Despite the fact that spontaneous regression is possible at each step, cervical cancer remains a serious health concern if all lesions are not detected and treated in a timely manner.