Biothera to Release Cancer Data at 2009 ASCO Meeting
EAGAN, MN — March 9, 2009 — Biothera will release data from the first arm of its metastatic colorectal cancer trial at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting May 29-June 2 in Orlando, Florida.
The dose-escalating study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of Biothera’s Imprime PGG® in combination with the standard of care (cetuximab/Erbitux® and irinotecan/Camptosar®) for second- and third-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients. Imprime PGG is a targeted immunotherapeutic drug that works synergistically with monoclonal antibodies through specific innate immune cell activation.
"We are very pleased with the results of the first arm of this trial,” said Daniel Conners, Biothera founder and president. “Imprime PGG is a unique immunotherapy with broad implications for the treatment of many types of cancer.”
Biothera recently expanded the second arm of its metastatic colorectal cancer trial, which is studying whether the combination of Imprime PGG and Erbitux can achieve positive outcomes without the use of chemotherapy.
The Biothera metastatic colorectal cancer clinical trial is an open-label, multicenter trial in Asia. In both arms, the study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of Imprime PGG at various dose levels.
About Imprime PGG®
Imprime PGG is a novel immunotherapy that works synergistically with anti-tumor monoclonal antibodies to activate a large population of the body’s immune cells (neutrophils) to kill cancer cells. Unlike other drugs that trigger a broad innate immune response, Imprime PGG selectively activates immune cells without inducing systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines, which reduces potential side effects. As a platform therapeutic in oncology, Imprime PGG has the potential to improve patient response rates for existing monoclonal antibody therapies in approved indications, create new indications for these drugs and enhance the efficacy of development-stage monoclonal antibody drugs.
About Biothera, the Immune Health Company
Biothera is a biotechnology company dedicated to improving immune health. The company is developing pharmaceuticals that engage the innate immune system to fight cancer.
Contact:
David Walsh
VP Communications
Biothera, the Immune Health Company
651-256-4606 (direct)