Date: 2016-11-17
Type of information: Initiation of the trial
phase: 2
Announcement: initiation of the trial
Company: Northwest Biotherapeutics (USA - MD)
Product: DCVax®-L and pembrolizumab (Keytruda®)
Action
mechanism: îmmunotherapy product/cell therapy/monoclonal antibody/immune checkpoint inhibitor. DCVax® is comprised of activated, educated dendritic cells, that mobilize or help the entire immune system. Instead of aiming at a single target, DCVax is designed at to target the full set of biomarkers on a patient’s cancer. The DCVax technology is expected to be applicable to most cancers, and is embodied in several distinct product lines. One of the product lines (DCVax®-L) is designed to cover all solid tumor cancers in which the tumors can be surgically removed. Another product line (DCVax®-Direct) is designed for all solid tumor cancers which are considered inoperable and cannot be surgically removed. We believe the broad applicability of DCVax to many cancers provides multiple opportunities for commercialization and partnering. For DCVax-L, the monocytes are differentiated into dendritic cells, and matured, activated and loaded with biomarkers (“antigens”) from the patient’s own tumor tissue (which is collected in a simple kit at the time of surgery to remove the tumor). The loading of biomarkers into the dendritic cells “educates” them about what the immune system needs to attack. The activated, educated dendritic cells are then isolated with very high purity and comprise the DCVax-L personalized vaccine. DCVax -L is administered to the patient through a simple intra-dermal injection in the upper arm, similar to a flu shot. The dendritic cells then convey the tumor biomarker information to the rest of the immune system agents (T cells, B cells and others), as “marching orders,” and the immune system agents then fan out through the body searching for anything with these biomarkers and attacking it. Keytruda® (pembrolizumab - MK-3475) is an investigational, highly selective monoclonal anti-PD-1 antibody designed to restore the natural ability of the immune system to recognize and target cancer cells by selectively achieving dual ligand blockade (PD-L1 and PD-L2) of the PD-1 protein. By blocking PD-1, MK-3475 enables activation of the immune system’s T-cells that target cancer by essentially releasing a brake on the immune system. MK-3475 is currently being studied in three clinical trials for advanced melanoma including a Phase III trial of MK-3475 versus ipilimumab in ipilimumab-naïve advanced melanoma patients (PN 006). Enrollment is complete in the advanced melanoma cohorts in the company’s Phase IB trial (PN 001) and the Phase II trial (PN 002) comparing two doses of MK-3475 versus chemotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma who have progressed after prior therapy. Pembrolizumab is being evaluated across more than 30 types of cancers, as monotherapy and in combination. It is anticipated that by the end of 2014, the pembrolizumab development program will grow to more than 24 clinical trials, enrolling an estimated 6,000 patients at nearly 300 clinical trial sites worldwide. In April 2013, MK-3475 has received a Breakthrough Therapy designation for advanced melanoma from the FDA. Keytruda® is the first approved drug that blocks the PD-1 cellular pathway.
Disease: colorectal cancer with liver metastases
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Country: Germany
Trial details:
Latest
news: * On November 17, 2016, Northwest Biotherapeutics joined the University Medical Center (UMC) of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany in announcing a Phase II clinical trial program combining DCVax®-L and pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) for colorectal cancer with liver metastases. The trial will be conducted as an investigator-initiated trial led by the University of Mainz, thereby substantially reducing the costs involved. NW Bio will provide the DCVax-L products and MSD Sharp & Dohme GmbH will provide the pembrolizumab. All of the parties contributed to and approved the novel trial design. This trial will combine a broad spectrum personalized vaccine (DCVax®-L) with a highly targeted checkpoint inhibitor drug (pembrolizumab). In contrast, most combination trials to date have combined two specifically targeted agents, with no broad spectrum agent included. After the parties complete certain preparatory activities, including obtaining regulatory approvals, the Phase II trial will treat patients for up to 6 months with DCVax®-L and Pembrolizumab, followed by long-term follow-up regarding patient survival.
