X
Pharma Advancement
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Drug Development
    • All
    • Clinical Trials
    • FDA Approvals
    • Research & Development
    FDA Accepts BLA for Recommended

    FDA Accepts BLA for Recommended Biosimilar to Simponi

    Merck to Acquire Verona

    Merck to Acquire Verona Pharma in $10B Deal Boosts COPD Drug

    Emerging Oral Small Molecule Drugs

    Emerging Oral Small-Molecule Drugs for Ultra-Rare Diseases

    FDA Approves Oral Therapy for Treating Hereditary Angioedema

    FDA Approves Oral Therapy for Treating Hereditary Angioedema

    Avadel Pharmaceuticals Receives

    Avadel Pharmaceuticals Receives Orphan Drug Designation from FDA for LUMRYZ™ (sodium oxybate) for Extended-Release Oral Suspension for the Treatment of Idiopathic Hypersomnia

    Robots and AI in Drug

    Robots and AI in Drug Discovery Are Transforming Medicine

    Stringent Policy around COVID Vaccines Laid by FDA

    Stringent Policy around COVID Vaccines Laid by FDA

    Pharmaceutical-Chemicals Market Booms with Rising API Demand

    Pharmaceutical Chemicals Market Booms with Rising API Demand

    Next in Pharma 2025 Innovations

    Next in Pharma 2025: Innovations Shaping the Future

  • Manufacturing
  • Supply Chain
  • Facilities
  • Insights
  • Events
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Drug Development
    • All
    • Clinical Trials
    • FDA Approvals
    • Research & Development
    FDA Accepts BLA for Recommended

    FDA Accepts BLA for Recommended Biosimilar to Simponi

    Merck to Acquire Verona

    Merck to Acquire Verona Pharma in $10B Deal Boosts COPD Drug

    Emerging Oral Small Molecule Drugs

    Emerging Oral Small-Molecule Drugs for Ultra-Rare Diseases

    FDA Approves Oral Therapy for Treating Hereditary Angioedema

    FDA Approves Oral Therapy for Treating Hereditary Angioedema

    Avadel Pharmaceuticals Receives

    Avadel Pharmaceuticals Receives Orphan Drug Designation from FDA for LUMRYZ™ (sodium oxybate) for Extended-Release Oral Suspension for the Treatment of Idiopathic Hypersomnia

    Robots and AI in Drug

    Robots and AI in Drug Discovery Are Transforming Medicine

    Stringent Policy around COVID Vaccines Laid by FDA

    Stringent Policy around COVID Vaccines Laid by FDA

    Pharmaceutical-Chemicals Market Booms with Rising API Demand

    Pharmaceutical Chemicals Market Booms with Rising API Demand

    Next in Pharma 2025 Innovations

    Next in Pharma 2025: Innovations Shaping the Future

  • Manufacturing
  • Supply Chain
  • Facilities
  • Insights
  • Events
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Pharma Advancement
No Result
View All Result
Home Europe

Immune-boosting colorectal cancer drug shows promise

Yuvraj_pawp by Yuvraj_pawp
8th July 2013
in Europe, News

Note* - All images used are for editorial and illustrative purposes only and may not originate from the original news provider or associated company.

New data on an emerging treatment that aims to fight colorectal cancer by stimulating the immune system have been presented at the ESMO 15th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.

The findings confirm the biological action of the drug called MGN1703 and suggest it may be possible to identify which gastrointestinal cancer patients will benefit most from the treatment, reported Prof Hans-Joachim Schmoll from Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany.

MGN1703 is a small DNA molecule recognised by a receptor – called toll-like receptor 9 – that is expressed in certain immune system cells. The drug is designed to broadly activate all components of the innate immune system to stimulate the destruction of cancer cells.

The new data come from the final analysis of the phase II IMPACT study, which investigated MGN1703 in 59 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

The IMPACT study was an international, randomised, double-blind trial that was conducted in patients who had achieved disease control after 4.5 to 6 months of chemotherapy.

Standard chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who respond to treatment is often completely or partially discontinued until the disease progresses. It was during this ‘maintenance’ phase of treatment that the new drug was administered.

Prof Schmoll and colleagues had intended to test the drug on 129 patients, but difficulties recruiting participants meant the trial was closed after 59 patients had been randomly assigned to either MGN1703 (43 patients) or placebo (16 patients).

“After a median follow-up of 17.3 months, MGN1703 prolonged profession-free survival from the start of induction as well as start of maintenance therapy, including four patients with sustained progression-free survival who are still on treatment,” Prof Schmoll says.

A pre-planned analysis of immune cell populations showed that the activation of a particular subset of immune system cells, called Natural Killer T Cells, appeared to potentially predict which patients might benefit, Prof Schmoll said.

“We saw a significant increase of CD14+CD169+ monocytes in all but one of the MGN1703 treated patients but none of the placebo patients, which indicates the drug is having a biological effect,” he said.

“These data, presented at the 15th ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer for the first time, are showing a highly interesting trend which should be followed-up and confirmed in a larger study,” Prof Schmoll said.

Since treatment with immunotherapeutic drugs such as MGN1703 needs time to take effect, patients who have a lower tumour burden and a response to prior chemotherapy might be more likely to have a benefit of the treatment with MGN1703, Prof Schmoll said.

“The evidence we are presenting at the 15th ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer is the first to show an immune cell population that might also help identify patients with greater benefit from MGN1703. There is mounting evidence that patients who achieve a response with immunotherapy seem to have a very prolonged disease control. A large confirmatory trial is needed to confirm these interesting findings.”

Commenting on the findings, ESMO spokesperson Michel Ducreux, Head of the Gastrointestinal Unit at the Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France, said the new results are supporting the concept for this approach.

“This is an interesting and somehow promising drug which represents a new concept of maintenance therapy with immunomodulation,” he said. “The results in terms of progression-free survival and response were consistent, however based on a very small number of patients, and needs follow up and confirmation in a definitive confirmatory trial.”

Tags: Europe
Previous Post

FDA takes action to protect consumers from dangerous medicines sold by illegal online pharmacies

Next Post

Benefits of Pradaxa® maintained in difficult to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and symptomatic heart failure

Related Posts

FDA Accepts BLA for Recommended
FDA Approvals

FDA Accepts BLA for Recommended Biosimilar to Simponi

22nd July 2025
Merck to Acquire Verona
Drug Development

Merck to Acquire Verona Pharma in $10B Deal Boosts COPD Drug

21st July 2025
ChiRhoClin LogiCare3PL Partners for Drug Distribution
News

ChiRhoClin, LogiCare3PL Partners for Drug Distribution

21st July 2025
Thermo Fisher and Sanofi Partners
Manufacturing

Thermo Fisher and Sanofi Partners for US Drug Manufacturing

21st July 2025
EMA Recommendations to Secure Anti D Immunoglobulins Supply
News

EMA Recommendations to Secure Anti-D Immunoglobulins Supply

15th July 2025
FDA Approves Oral Therapy for Treating Hereditary Angioedema
FDA Approvals

FDA Approves Oral Therapy for Treating Hereditary Angioedema

15th July 2025
Next Post

Benefits of Pradaxa® maintained in difficult to treat patients with atrial fibrillation and symptomatic heart failure

Qucik Links

  • Drug Development
  • Manufacturing
  • News
  • Events & Conferences
  • Newsletter Archive
Pharma Advancement

About Us

Pharma Advancement is a leading Pharma information centric website. On one side Pharmaadvancement.com has established itself as one of the most efficient and comprehensive source of Pharma information online, dedicated to providing decision makers in all the Pharma industry sectors with reliable, accurate and useful insights into happenings in the Pharma sector.

Subscribe Us

System

  • Search
  • Sitemap
  • RSS Feed

Resources

  • Advertise with us
  • Contact Us
  • Download Mediapack
  • Newsletters Archive

© 2017 Copyright © Valuemediaservices 2017 All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Drug Development
  • Manufacturing
  • Supply Chain
  • Facilities
  • Insights
  • Events
  • Contact Us

© 2017 Copyright © Valuemediaservices 2017 All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In