(By Balachander) Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSEAMEX:INO) said results from a clinical trial showed its DNA-based cancer vaccine can produce potent and durable responses to kill target cells.
The Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based company said its VGX-3100 therapeutic synthetic vaccine is designed to treat cervical dysplasias caused by HPV infection. The goal is to stimulate a T-cell immune response strong enough to cause the rejection of these infected or transformed cells from the body.
Results of the early-stage trial showed its VGX-3100 vaccine is capable of not only driving robust immune responses to antigens from high risk types of HPV infection but that these immune responses displayed a powerful killing effect on cells changed by HPV into precancerous dysplasias, the company said.
Inovio said this desirable effect may ultimately contribute to the regression or elimination of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer.
The company is currently assessing the ability of its DNA-based VGX-3100 to treat cervical dysplasias caused by HPV infection in a mid-stage trial. The phase II efficacy study will determine the vaccine's ability to reverse disease progression to cervical cancer.
The company believes generation of killer T-cell responses to be critical for the treatment of cervical dysplasia and ultimately cancer caused by HPV.
"The type of T-cell killing activity seen in this new data provides a growing foundation for efficacy trials focused on the treatment of HPV-associated cancers including cervical, head and neck, and anogenital cancers," commented Joseph Kim, Inovio's President and CEO.
Researchers have estimated the global prevalence of clinically pre-cancerous HPV infections at between 28 and 40 million. Persistent dysplasias may then progress to cancer. Every year, 510,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed worldwide, and about 288,000 of the afflicted women die.
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