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news.Immunotherapies developer GammaCan International has received approval from a leading medical center in Israel to initiate a phase II trial of a new cancer therapy, sending the company's shares up by over 5%.
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The phase II clinical trial of GCAN 101 will commence at the medical center and include up to 30 patients suffering from metastatic melanoma, metastatic prostate or colon cancers. GammaCan is planning to expand the trial to a number of additional medical centers in Israel.
The patented GCAN 101 therapy is based on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a concentrated form of disease-fighting antibodies naturally occurring in human blood. Based on its preclinical results and year-long clinical experience with IVIg, the company believes that this new therapy may open an exciting new treatment option that is safe and effective, without the toxic side-effects of traditional chemotherapy or other options for metastatic cancers.
“This phase II trial allows us to examine both toxicity and efficacy in an expedited manner. It is our hope that the upcoming data will validate our preclinical results in humans,” said Professor Yehuda Shoenfeld, GammaCan chief scientist and a world-renowned expert in immunology and autoimmune diseases.
“The trial represents the achievement of a critical milestone for GammaCan,” stated Dr Dan Gelvan, GammaCan CEO. “It meets an objective that allows the company to enter new realms in the scientific and investment community.”
Many experts currently view immunotherapy as a future alternative to today’s standard chemotherapy. Approximately 20 companies produce IVIg, and annual worldwide sales are currently in excess of 50 metric tons with an estimated value in excess of $1.5 billion.