Listeria Vaccine for Cervical Cancer Found Safe
Posted on: Thursday, 18 October 2007, 06:00 CDT
Researchers testing a vaccine based on the live bacteria Listeria, in women with advanced cervical cancer found it to be safe.
The Lovaxin C vaccine, being developed by biotechnology company Advaxis, is intended to treat cervical cancer and head and neck cancers that result from the human papilloma virus. This marked the first time the vaccine had been treated in humans.
Advaxis reported treating fifteen patients in three dosage groups with thirty-minute 250ml infusions of Lovaxin C at three week intervals. Patients were observed for a total of 111 days. With the exception of two women, all patients had had either stage IVb advanced, recurrent, or progressive cervical cancer. Every patient experienced a flu-like syndrome in the 3-12 hours after dosing comprised of fever, chills, nausea, and occasional vomiting, which is consistent with immune stimulation. In the lower two doses, symptoms were well tolerated and resolved with the use of over the counter analgesics and antihistamines.
Although efficacy was not a primary focus of the trial, efficacy findings were obtained. Of the seven stable patients, three had reductions in their tumor mass subsequent to treatment.
Dr John Rothman, vice president of clinical development, said: "Our long held belief that live Listeria vaccines are safe, even in end stage cancer patients, has been confirmed with the results from our recent Phase I/II study. We have just entered the age of safe bacterial therapies. The immune response that Listeria generates is called cellular immunity, the type needed to attack cancer."
Source: Datamonitor
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