On July 29, 2015 Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, reported that the company’s scientific founder, Yvonne Paterson, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will give a presentation titled "HER-2/neu as a target for Listeria-based cancer immunotherapy for breast cancer" on Tuesday, August 4 at 9:00 a.m. BST, at the 2015 World Congress on Breast Cancer in Birmingham, UK (Press release, Advaxis, JUL 29, 2015, View Source [SID:1234506737]).
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"I’ve dedicated over 20 years of work to the application of Listeria monocytogenes in targeted tumor-associated antigens," said Dr. Paterson. "I am thankful for the opportunity to showcase the success of this process in HER2 expressing breast cancers."
The presentation, which is scheduled to take place during the symposium on "Immunotherapy of Breast Cancer," will highlight pre-clinical research findings with Advaxis’s Lm Technology immunotherapy ADXS-HER2 which show promise for limiting tumor growth in HER2 expressing cancers, such as breast cancer. In clinical trials to date in multiple tumor types, Advaxis’s Lm Technology immunotherapies have been well-tolerated and have demonstrated anti-tumor activity, including prolonged survival, stable disease and, in some cases, complete or partial remission. In addition, preliminary data have demonstrated ADXS-HER2, in combination with palliative radiation, delayed tumor progression and prolonged overall survival in a group of 12 pet dogs with treatment-naïve spontaneous canine osteosarcoma.
"We are appreciative of the astounding work Dr. Paterson has done in the area of Lm Technology," said Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis. "Her scientific research has been instrumental in bringing about the first human trial of ADXS-HER2 in locally advanced/metastatic HER2 expressing solid tumors, which is scheduled to commence enrollment this summer."
Advaxis recently announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a patent expanding Advaxis’s intellectual property portfolio in claiming numerous compositions for the development of ADXS-HER2 in HER2 expressing cancers.
About HER2 Expressing Cancers
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is expressed in a percentage of solid tumors such as breast, gastric, bladder, brain, pancreatic, ovarian and osteosarcoma. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015 in the United States alone there will be 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer; 24,590 new cases of gastric cancer; 74,000 new cases of bladder cancer; 22,850 new cases of brain/spinal cancer; 48,960 new cases of pancreatic cancer; 21,290 new cases of ovarian cancer; and 800 new cases of osteosarcoma. HER2 expression is associated with more aggressive disease, increased risk of relapse and decreased overall survival, and is an important target for immunotherapy.
About ADXS-HER2
ADXS-HER2 is an Lm Technology immunotherapy product candidate being developed by Advaxis for the targeted treatment of HER2 expressing cancers. ADXS-HER2 received orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of osteosarcoma in May 2014. Advaxis is developing ADXS-HER2 for both human and animal-health, and has seen encouraging data in canine osteosarcoma, which is considered a model for human osteosarcoma. Advaxis licensed ADXS-HER2 and three other immunotherapy constructs to Aratana Therapeutics, Inc. for pet therapeutics.