VAXIMM reports positive follow-on data from oral cancer vaccine trial

VAXIMM AG, a Swiss-German biotech company focusing on oral cancer vaccines, announced today follow-on data from the first clinical trial of its investigational oral T-cell vaccine VXM01. Data of a trial extension of the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase I dose escalation study show that the safety profile to date is manageable, and indicate that VXM01 has a potential to trigger a strong targeted T-cell-mediated immune response in pancreatic cancer patients.

The study code-named VXM01-01-DE enrolled 27 additional patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer at the Heidelberg University Hospital (Heidelberg, Germany). Previously, 45 patients received four doses of VXM01 within a week or placebo, on top of standard-of-care treatment. In the trial extension, patients in the treatment arm received monthly follow-on vaccinations (boosting) for up to six month in addition to the previous four-vaccinations-within-a-week schedule.

The study extension shows that the main adverse event was a decrease in platelet count, which was observed in about half of the vaccinated patients. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at the two doses levels tested. Initial findings with regard to specific T-cell response and changes in tumor perfusion and other angiogenesis-related biomarkers were reproduced. Importantly, two thirds of the patients showed a strong T-cell mediated immune response against the target (VEGFR-2) after the initial vaccination with VXM01 or after boosting. In an interim analysis, median overall survival in the treatment arm was 10.3 months, and the data show the effect is higher in patients with a target specific T-cell response after VXM01 treatment (12.3 months for responders versus 5.4 months for non-responders). More detailed results from the trial will be submitted for presentation at upcoming scientific meetings and for publications in peer-reviewed journals. Initial data from VXM01-01-DE were presented at the 2013 Annual Conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

“We are enthusiastic about the high immunological response rate and the improved survival of patients responding to VXM01 treatment,” said PD Dr. Hubertus Schmitz-Winnenthal, one of the principal investigators of the study, “This is especially exciting given the patients’ life expectancy and the observed safety profile, even under continued treatment.”

“These are very encouraging data,” added Dr. Heinz Lubenau, General Manager of VAXIMM GmbH, a fully owned subsidiary of VAXIMM AG in Germany. “We are planning to continue the development of VXM01 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and potentially other solid tumor diseases.”

Dr. Klaus Breiner, Executive Chairman of VAXIMM AG commented: “We are extremely pleased with these results. In the end, it is improved survival that matters.”