CellPro Announces Tumor Purging Data

CellPro's stem cell concentration system Ceprate SC can be successfullyused to purge tumor cells in patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for the treatment of multiple myeloma, according to the results of a Phase III, open-label study.

The study enrolled 134 patients who all received high-dose chemotherapy followed by peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, with or without purification using Ceprate SC. The primary efficacy endpoint was to show a greater than 2-log reduction in number of cells in the Ceprate arm. The trial showed that Ceprate SC use was associated with a 3.3-log reduction of contaminating myeloma cells. Over half of these patients (54%) received a transplant with no detectable tumor cells by PCR analysis compared to 14% in the unselected arm.

The primary safety endpoint of neutrophil engraftment by day 14 was also achieved. CellPro will now submit a supplemental application in the third quarter of this year seeking to expand the indications for Ceprate SC, currently approved for processing of autologous bone marrow to obtain a stem cell-enriched population for hematopoietic support after myeloablative therapy, to include peripheral blood.