Positive data for Valentis' IL-2 gene medicine

Valentis has reported interim results at the annual American Society ofGene Therapy meeting in Washington, USA, from a Phase IIb clinical trial of its IL-2 gene medicine plus standard chemotherapy, injected directly into tumors, for the treatment of patients with Stage III and stage IV carcinoma of the head and neck. Data showed that the median time to progressive disease was 129 days, with no increase in the tumor response rate, in patients receiving IL-2, compared to 93 days for those receiving chemotherapy alone. Valentis' vice president, clinical development and regulatory affairs, Tyler Martin, said that the company is "very encouraged by the trend seen to date in this clinical trial which favors the IL-2 gene medicine group to be an excellent indicator of the merit of this treatment," and continued development is warranted.