Researchers from the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, have reported that Oncophage® (vitespen), a cancer vaccine, may improve survival of patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade glioblastoma. The details of this Phase II clinical trial were presented at the 2009 Joint Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/CNS section on tumors on October 24.

Oncophage is a cancer vaccine that is based on heat shock protein (HPS), which is a naturally occurring substance that binds all peptides it comes in contact with. HPS is also capable of activating antigen presenting cells, indirectly presenting antigens, and “chaperoning” peptides during antigen presentation. Researchers at Antigenetics have developed a procedure that produces individual peptides that serve as tumor-specific or tumor-associated antigens by mixing individual tumor cells with HSP. When re-injected into the patient from whom the cancer was obtained, specific immune responses are observed. This means that the vaccine contains all of the many tumor antigens present in the cancer.

The safety and efficacy of Oncophage for the treatment of recurrent or progressive, high-grade glioblastoma is being evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial that will eventually enroll 50 patients. Although the study is ongoing, preliminary results were presented at the 2009 Joint Meeting of SNO and AANS/CNS.

• In the first 20 patients treated with Oncophage, median survival was 10.1 months.
• Thirty percent of patients have survived for one year or longer.

These authors cited historical data suggesting that the median survival of patients with recurrent glioblastoma is approximately 6.5 months. They also cited data suggesting that Avastin® (bevacizumab) prolongs median survival to 9.2 months in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Comments: Based on these observations, these authors suggest that Oncophage may be a promising treatment approach for patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma.

Reference:

Antigenics Press Release. Data presented on Oncophage® cancer vaccine in recurrent glioma at SNO 2009. Available at: http://www.antigenics.com/news/2009/1026.phtml. Accessed November 4, 2009.