Northwest Biotherapeutics gives brain cancer trial update

The phase I clinical trial of DCVax-Brain involved patients with Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the deadliest form of brain cancer. Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy, such as that used in the DCVax-Brain vaccine, uses autologous dendritic cells that are pulsed with tumor antigens. This therapeutic approach aims at safely stimulating anti-tumor immune responses to prevent tumor recurrence or progression.

Observed findings include that six of 10 patients are still alive, with median survival of over 22.1 months (and continuing), and that five of 10 patients continue to show no signs of cancer recurrence, with median follow-up time of 34.8 months.

Results to date also demonstrate that survival time ranges from 13.5 to 41.9 months (and continuing) and median time to progression (i.e. tumor recurrence) is over 14.9 months (and continuing).

Without such treatment, GBM has historical median times to progression and death of approximately eight and 15 months, respectively.