First patient enrolled in pivotal phase III study of Oncophage.(Brief Article)

2002 JUN 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antigenics, Inc., (AGEN) announced that investigators have enrolled the first patient in a pivotal phase III trial of its personalized cancer vaccine Oncophage (HSPPC-96) for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The study, to involve more than 200 patients in the United States and Europe, will compare the safety and efficacy of Oncophage treatment with the current standard of care.

Oncophage is a personalized cancer vaccine tailored for each patient. Derived from each individual's tumor, it contains the "antigenic fingerprint" of the patient's particular cancer, and is designed to reprogram the body's immune system to target and destroy only cancer cells bearing this fingerprint. Oncophage is intended to leave healthy tissue unaffected to prevent the debilitating side effects associated with traditional cancer treatments. Already undergoing phase III evaluation for treatment of nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma, Oncophage has received Fast Track designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of both kidney cancer and advanced melanoma. Oncophage has also been evaluated in several other cancers, including lymphoma, colorectal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers.

"We are delighted to continue moving into late-stage clinical development with our flagship product," said Jonathan Lewis, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Antigenics. "Yet, what is even more compelling is the opportunity to deliver a new treatment alternative to a patient population that is currently faced with limited options and a severely compromised quality of life."

The randomized, multicenter, two-arm phase III study will ...