Antigenics gets US orphan status for Oncophage

USA-based Antigenics says that its Oncophage (vitespen) has been granted orphan status for the treatment of glioma by the Food and Drug  Administration.

"Glioma is such an aggressive and challenging cancer that when patients  are diagnosed with recurrence of this life-threatening disease, they  rarely live beyond six months," said lead Oncophage trial investigator  Andrew Parsa. "Given the poor survival rates, the medical community  needs new treatment options, and I am hopeful of the potential for  Oncophage to significantly improve clinical outcomes in this patient  population," he added.

Final data from a Phase I, investigator-sponsored trial conducted at the  Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San  Francisco, showed that Oncophage vaccination following brain cancer  surgery increased overall median survival to approximately 10.5 months,  with four patients living beyond 12 months and one almost 2.5 years.  This is compared to a historical median survival of only 6.5 months  post-surgery. Phase II results are expected to be presented later this  year.