On November 12, 2014 Advaxis reported that the Company has submitted an Investigational New Drug application (IND) to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a Phase 1/2 study of ADXS-HPV (ADXS11-001) alone or in combination with MedImmune’s investigational anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, MEDI4736, for the treatment of advanced, recurrent or refractory human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer and HPV-associated head and neck cancer (Press release Advaxis, NOV 12, 2014, View Source [SID:1234500957]).

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This follows the press release issued in July 2014 announcing the clinical trial collaboration between Advaxis and MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca.

ADXS-HPV is Advaxis’s lead Lm-LLO immunotherapy designed for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers. Preclinical evidence suggests that the combination of ADXS-HPV with a checkpoint inhibitor, such as MEDI4736, can enhance overall anti-tumour response.

Pending FDA’s acceptance of the IND submission, the proposed Phase 1/2 protocol is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ADXS-HPV as monotherapy and in combination with MEDI4736. Specifically, the Phase 1 part of the trial is expected to establish a recommended dose regimen of ADXS-HPV with MEDI4736, and the Phase 2 portion will assess the safety and efficacy of the combination. The study is planned to begin in early 2015.

"The filing of our ADXS-HPV + MEDI4736 IND for HPV associated cervical and head and neck cancers is another significant advance in Advaxis’s clinical strategy as it adds to our rapidly growing pipeline and positions Advaxis as a clear leader in the immunotherapy-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy market," commented Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis. "Additionally, the filing of this IND and the recently announced filing of the ADXS-PSA + KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) IND demonstrate Advaxis’s ability to rapidly transition partnering agreements to clinical programs. Since announcing our agreements with MedImmune and Merck in July and August, respectively, we have worked diligently with both companies’ research teams to develop IND filings involving each company’s checkpoint inhibitor that, upon acceptance by FDA, should enable us to initiate two Phase 1/2 trials in early 2015."

Within 30 calendar days of the IND filing, FDA will notify Advaxis of any questions it has or protocol revisions it requests which may delay this timing. Advaxis plans to work with the FDA review team to address any questions or requests that arise within this 30-day window.