Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OTC: NWBT) has recently received USFDA clearance to proceed with Phase I clinical testing of its personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine, DCVax®-LB, in non-small cell lung cancer, with progression-free survival (i.e., delay in progression of the cancer) and overall survival as clinical endpoints.
DCVax®-LB is an extension of DCVax® personalized cancer vaccine that has already shown potential against two other cancers: Glioblastoma multiforme (primary brain cancer) and prostate cancer.
DCVax®, a therapeutic vaccine being used for the treatment of patients who already have cancer, is made from a patient's own dendritic cells that have been "educated" to teach the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells bearing the biomarkers of the patient's tumor.
According to Dr. Alton Boynton, President of Northwest Biotherapeutics:
"The same DCVax® platform can be used for the treatment of many different tumor types, since it incorporates all of the biomarkers from the patient's tumor. DCVax®-LB offers several key advantages over existing FDA-approved treatments.
To date, DCVax® product candidates have shown no toxicity, and have been compatible with other standard therapeutic regimens, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, clinical data on delay in disease progression and extension of survival in brain and prostate cancer to date are remarkable."
Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers with only surgery and radiation therapy combinations as existing treatments.
These treatments, used in various combinations as well as chemotherapies for lung cancer have significant adverse side effects, and have had little effect on survival.
Source: PR Newswire
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