Cancer vaccine Gvax shows some promise in prostate cancer trial

Cancer vaccine Gvax shows some promise in prostate cancer trial

Cancer vaccines appear in the news again. First there was Dendreon's
autologous Provenge vaccine, and now it's the turn of Cell Genesys'
non-autologous (allogeneic) Gvax. Links and references:

Another cancer vaccine shows promise in test
Bernadette Tansey, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
< * sfgate . com /cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/04/BUGBOP161H1.DTL>

"... Tuesday, the positive news concerned Cell Genesys' Gvax.
Analysts said data from a small study suggest that the vaccine
may extend the lives of men with prostate cancer more
effectively than an approved chemotherapy regimen and may
deliver comparable or greater survival results than Provenge.
..."

Cell Genesys GVAX data shows survival
April 3, 2007
< * w w w .boston . com /business/healthcare/articles/2007/04/03/cell genesys gvax data shows survival/>

"SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --Biotech drug developer Cell
Genesys Inc. said Tuesday that follow-up data from a midstage
clinical trial showed prostate cancer patients taking the
company's GVAX treatment survived longer than patients in a
previous study.

[...]

The company's second Phase II study of its GVAX immunotherapy
for prostate cancer showed that 22 patients survived an average
of 35 months. The dosage used in the clinical trial is the same
being used in a late-stage clinical trial for the treatment.

In a previous midstage study, the company showed 34 prostate
cancer patients survived an average of 26.2 months.

The results compare with data showing an average survival of
18.9 months for prostate cancer patients given the current
standard treatment, Sanofi Aventis SA's Taxotere chemotherapy
along with prednisone, the company said."

Vaccines Everywhere
April 3, 2007
< * pipeline.corante . com /archives/2007/04/03/vaccines everywhere.php>

"... As things stand, there are a bewildering number of
possibilities. Both of these vaccines depend on production of
GM-CSF secreting cells (a powerful cytokine which stimulates
white blood cell production and activity), but they're rather
different otherwise. Dendreon's Provenge is autologous, that
is, derived from each patient's own cells, for one thing, while
the Cell Genesys GVAX vaccine isn't individualized at all (that
is, allogeneic). ..."

Simons JW, Sacks N.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-transduced allogeneic
cancer cellular immunotherapy: the GVAX vaccine for prostate cancer.
Urol Oncol. 2006 Sep-Oct;24(5):419-24. Review.
PMID: 16962494 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
< * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list uids=16962494>

Hege KM, Jooss K, Pardoll D.
GM-CSF gene-modifed cancer cell immunotherapies: of mice and men.
Int Rev Immunol. 2006 Sep-Dec;25(5-6):321-52. Review.
PMID: 17169779 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
DOI: 10.1080/08830180600992498
< * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list uids=17169779>
< * taylorandfrancis.metapress . com /content/g1867322km177589/>

Cell Genesys Receives Fast Track Status For GVAX(R) Immunotherapy For
Prostate Cancer
12 May 2006
< * w w w .medicalnewstoday . com /medicalnews.php?newsid=43254>

Prostate Cancer Vaccine (GVAX) - Clinical Stage Portfolio
< * w w w .cellgenesys . com /clinical-prostate-cancer.shtml>

Cell Genesys Initiates Second Phase 3 Clinical Trial Of GVAX® Vaccine
For Prostate Cancer
July 5, 2005
< * psa-rising . com /med/immun/GVAX-2005.htm>

Eager R, Nemunaitis J.
GM-CSF gene-transduced tumor vaccines.
Mol Ther. 2005 Jul;12(1):18-27. Review.
PMID: 15963916 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2005.02.012
< * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list uids=15963916>
< * w w w .nature . com /mt/journal/v12/n1/abs/mt20051263a.html>

Nemunaitis J.
Vaccines in cancer: GVAX, a GM-CSF gene vaccine.
Expert Rev Vaccines. 2005 Jun;4(3):259-74. Review.
PMID: 16026242 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
doi:10.1586/14760584.4.3.259
< * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list uids=16026242>
< * w w w .future-drugs . com /doi/abs/10.1586/14760584.4.3.259>

Dummer R.
GVAX (Cell Genesys).
Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2001 Jun;2(6):844-8. Review.
PMID: 11572668 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
< * w w w .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list uids=11572668&dopt=Abstract>

Gvax Prostate Cancer Vaccine Demonstrates Antitumor Activity
December 11, 2000
< * w w w .pslgroup . com /dg/1ed50a.htm>


There are least three ongoing Gvax prostate cancer clinical trials,
which still recruit new patients:

GVAX® Vaccine for Prostate Cancer vs Docetaxel & Prednisone in
Patients With Metastatic Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer
< * w w w .clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT00089856>

GVAX in Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients Made Lymphopenic
< * w w w .clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT00122005?order=1>

Docetaxel in Combination With GVAX ® Vaccine Versus Docetaxel and
Prednisone in Prostate Cancer Patients
< * w w w .clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT00133224?order=3>


--
Matti Narkia