Encouraging early data for GVAX/ ipilimumab

At the American Society for Clinical Oncology's Prostate Cancer Symposium, held in Orlando Florida, Cell Genesys and fellow US drugmaker Medarex reported encouraging follow-up data from the ongoing Phase I clinical trial of the former's GVAX immunotherapy for prostate cancer, administered in combination with Medarex' fully-human anti-CTLA-4 antibody, ipilimumab (MDX-010), which Medarex is developing with US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb.

12 patients with advanced prostate cancer have completed treatment to date. Of the six treated in the two highest dose groups, antitumor activity has been observed in five, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) declines of greater than 50% that were maintained in four of these patients for at least six months, with the longest response ongoing at more than 12 months. Moreover, clinical evidence of antitumor activity has been observed in three of these five PSA responders, including improvement of multiple lesions on bone scan, resolution of abdominal lymph node disease by CT scan, and improvement in pain due to bone metastases, respectively, the firms noted.