Introgen reports efficacy markers for Advexin

USA-based Introgen Therapeutics reported data on molecular and clinical biomarkers that it says can predict the efficacy of Advexin, its gene therapy for head and neck cancer, at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society, held in Chicago.

At the conference, Robert Sobol, Introgen's senior vice president of medical and scientific affairs, discussed the identification of a set of prognostic indicators associated with high response rates and increased survival in Phase II clinical trials of Introgen's Advexin in patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. He noted that molecular biomarkers include measurements of genetic markers or molecular pathways while clinical biomarkers refer to both clinical history or measurements. Introgen hopes that the information can be utilized to guide Advexin treatment of cancer patients and to support its approval by regulatory agencies.