New cancer vax shows promise among late-stage victims

With support from the National Cancer Institute and Alphavax, researchers say that a new oncology vaccine has triggered a significant immune response among a group of patients suffering from a range of cancers. The group, which was led by Duke University's Dr. Michael Morse, used an alphavirus-which are known to target dendritic cells-to precisely deliver a gene for the carcinoembryonic antigen, a common biomarker in cancer. And they tested it on 28 patients with late-stage lung, colon, breast,...

Merck KGaA’s pancreatic cancer vaccine ready for testing

In the quest for a cancer vaccine, Merck KGaA is again stepping into the ring. Vaximm Holding AG, the company's joint venture with a Switzerland's BB Biotech Ventures III, will start testing a therapeutic cancer vaccine in patients next year. The vaccine, VXM01, harnesses the body's immune system to fight cancer by using T-cells to close off the tumor's blood supply. Roche's Avastin also focuses on the tumor's blood supply, but it focuses on eliminating a protein that creates the...

CureVac raises $35M for prostate cancer vax program

Hot on the heels of Dendreon's big victory at the FDA with the world's first therapeutic cancer vaccine, Germany's CureVac announced a $35 million round that is designed to accelerate work on its mRNA prostate cancer vaccine, now in mid-stage trials. The Tübingen University spinoff's lead therapeutic vaccine--the messenger RNA therapy CV9103--is currently in Phase IIa for prostate cancer, with data expected in the second half of this year. A separate mRNA vaccine for non-small cell lung...

Cancer vaccine developers bask in Provenge limelight

Now that Dendreon has completed its victory lap following Thursday's high-profile approval for Provenge, the spotlight has inevitably shifted to the other cancer vaccines in the pipeline. "It sets the stage, or at least facilitates, the approval of other cancer vaccines," Michael Becker, chief executive of MD Becker Partners, tells Dow Jones about the Provenge action. Becker compares the Provenge approval to Rituxan's arrival in 1997, which heralded the potential of monoclonal...