Antigenics Reports Expansion OF Phase-II Glioma Trial

Antigenics has announced that Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California (UCSF), has expanded phase-II clinical trial of Oncophage (vitespen) for glioma. The trial will now include NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

Final data from the phase-II study showed that Oncophage vaccination, following brain cancer surgery, increased overall median survival to approximately 10.5 months (with four patients surviving beyond 12 months and one patient surviving almost 2.5 years). This is compared to a historical median survival of only 6.5 months post surgery. All patients enrolled into the trial had at least one recurrence of brain cancer.

The phase-II trial is designed to recruit approximately 30 patients diagnosed with first recurrence of high-grade glioma. The trial is designed to evaluate overall survival, time to progression and immune response.

Andrew Parsa, Associate Professor of neurological surgery, UCSF, said: “We are encouraged by the preliminary results generated from the Phase 1 study, which treated the most challenging patients with at least one recurrence of brain cancer.

“In this patient population, treatment with Oncophage extended overall median survival to approximately 10.5 months, with a favorable side-effect profile,” he added.