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...

AMG 479 shows “promising activity” in pancratic cancer

Data from a small, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase II study of Amgen's (NASDAQ: AMGN) AMG 479 plus gemcitabine showed that metastatic pancreatic cancer patients receiving the combination experienced improved overall survival at six months. The promising candidate now is moving into Phase III testing in this patient population. In the study, patients received either AMG 479 plus Gemzar (gemcitabine), conatumumab plus gemcitabine, or placebo plus gemcitabine. The addition of AMG 479 to...