OPT 821 vaccine
A Randomized, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Phase II Trial of a KLH Conjugated Trivalent Ganglioside Vaccine Containing GM2, GD2 Lactone, and GD3 Lactone with Immunological Adjuvant OPT-821 verses OPT-821 Alone in Metastatic Sarcoma Patients who are Rendered Disease Free (What a mouth full!)
To make a long story short, I will either be receiving OPT 821 alone or OPT 821 with an added "protein." I will not know. Whichever one I receive, at least I will be getting "something"
If anyone is interested in additional information, just Google OPT821 and there is lots of good info.
Will keep everyone updated as time goes on.
Rosemarie
Comments
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Clinical Triallulu1010 said:Glad to hear!
Glad to hear about your trial. Hope it works well. I just had my third round of vaccine injections of the CVAC trial today. All I have had is the reddness at the injection sites also. Lets keep our fingers crossed!
Today was my second vaccine and again just a little redness at the site. Next Friday is vaccine #3.
My husband was asking the clinical trial coordinator this afternoon as to how many others are in this same trial. At Stanford there are only 6, but nationwide there are 56 that qualified out of 100+
Forgive me, but is the CVAC and OPT821 the same trial? This is so new to me and also very confusing.
Have a great weekend and let us see ourselves and our sisters, cancer free!
Sincerely,
Rosemarie0 -
clinical trialrose_marie said:Clinical Trial
Today was my second vaccine and again just a little redness at the site. Next Friday is vaccine #3.
My husband was asking the clinical trial coordinator this afternoon as to how many others are in this same trial. At Stanford there are only 6, but nationwide there are 56 that qualified out of 100+
Forgive me, but is the CVAC and OPT821 the same trial? This is so new to me and also very confusing.
Have a great weekend and let us see ourselves and our sisters, cancer free!
Sincerely,
Rosemarie
No they are different but they are all leading to one thing that will help us all! We just got to keep trying. Hope you have a great weekend too!0 -
GOG 0255
Rosemarie: You must be talking about the GOG 0255 Trial. I am considering this Trial now. Where are you doing this? At what location. Do you know much about the OPT-821? Is it the same as QS-21? Because I heard OPT-821 is the same as QS-21 which can have bad side effects, like Ephacema. Anyway you can check this one out? Much Thanks and Very Best of Luck and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year.
SNA0 -
I am in a vaccine trial,SNA said:GOG 0255
Rosemarie: You must be talking about the GOG 0255 Trial. I am considering this Trial now. Where are you doing this? At what location. Do you know much about the OPT-821? Is it the same as QS-21? Because I heard OPT-821 is the same as QS-21 which can have bad side effects, like Ephacema. Anyway you can check this one out? Much Thanks and Very Best of Luck and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year.
SNA
I am in a vaccine trial, too. It is Globo-H-GM2-sTn-TF-Tn.
The vaccine in this study contains antigens or "fingerprints" that are found on many cancer cells, especially those from the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or peritoneal cavity (inside lining of the abdomen). The antigens in this vaccine are called Globo-H, GM2, sTn, TF, and Tn. They have been assessed in patients individually; this is the first time all of the antigens have been put together on a single molecule and evaluated in patients.
The antigens are given with a material called QS-21, which may help the immune system to make more cancer-fighting cells. The group of antigens is attached to a material called keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), which has been used for many years to boost the immune system in laboratory animals and in people.
Carlene0 -
Based on what I read, OPT
Based on what I read, OPT 821 is an immune enhancing drug, not a vaccine. KHL is the vaccine. This trial is highly similar to the one Carlene is on - the one for those high risk patients in their first remission. I was on this trial but flunked out of it since I recurred. Differences between the two trials:
(1) Unlike Carlene's trial, OPT 821 is for those who are in remission after successful treatment for recurrent disease.
(2) OPT trial is a randomized trial. you get OPT-821 for sure. But you may or may not get the KLH vaccine. Carlene's trial is a Phase I trial: everybody gets both QS 21 (equivalent to OPT 821) and the vaccine.
(3) in carlene's trial, QS 21, instead of OPT 821, is used as an immune enhancing drug. Biologically they sound very similar: made out of the same base material (forget the name).
(4) KLH sounds very similar to the vaccine in Carlene's trial, except, KLH contains mucin 1. Carelen's trial vaccine does not (based on what's written).
There is another trial - his one is only available at Memorial Sloan Kettering since it's not a national multi center trial. It's essentially same as the KLH trial except it comes with Avastin and it's a phase 1 trial: everybody gets all three: OPT 821, KLH, and Avastin.
I am in treatment for my recurrence, and so far, it's going well. Suppose I manage to go into remission again, I would like to participate in some type of immunotherapy related trial for recurrence prevention. Alas, the OPT/KLH trial seems to made of very similar stuff I was on previously and probably not the right ones for me since they did not work for me.
I will have to discuss this with my doctor at MSKCC: this fellow is in charge of all three trials at MSKCC (carlene's, national OPT/KLH, and MSKCC only OPT/KHL/Avastin), so he is the best one to tell me whether there is still sufficient difference between the trial I failed on and any of these trials that it's worth for me to try again.0 -
From everything I've readevertheoptimist said:Based on what I read, OPT
Based on what I read, OPT 821 is an immune enhancing drug, not a vaccine. KHL is the vaccine. This trial is highly similar to the one Carlene is on - the one for those high risk patients in their first remission. I was on this trial but flunked out of it since I recurred. Differences between the two trials:
(1) Unlike Carlene's trial, OPT 821 is for those who are in remission after successful treatment for recurrent disease.
(2) OPT trial is a randomized trial. you get OPT-821 for sure. But you may or may not get the KLH vaccine. Carlene's trial is a Phase I trial: everybody gets both QS 21 (equivalent to OPT 821) and the vaccine.
(3) in carlene's trial, QS 21, instead of OPT 821, is used as an immune enhancing drug. Biologically they sound very similar: made out of the same base material (forget the name).
(4) KLH sounds very similar to the vaccine in Carlene's trial, except, KLH contains mucin 1. Carelen's trial vaccine does not (based on what's written).
There is another trial - his one is only available at Memorial Sloan Kettering since it's not a national multi center trial. It's essentially same as the KLH trial except it comes with Avastin and it's a phase 1 trial: everybody gets all three: OPT 821, KLH, and Avastin.
I am in treatment for my recurrence, and so far, it's going well. Suppose I manage to go into remission again, I would like to participate in some type of immunotherapy related trial for recurrence prevention. Alas, the OPT/KLH trial seems to made of very similar stuff I was on previously and probably not the right ones for me since they did not work for me.
I will have to discuss this with my doctor at MSKCC: this fellow is in charge of all three trials at MSKCC (carlene's, national OPT/KLH, and MSKCC only OPT/KHL/Avastin), so he is the best one to tell me whether there is still sufficient difference between the trial I failed on and any of these trials that it's worth for me to try again.
From everything I've read recently, I have gotten "gun shy" of most immune enhancing approaches. I guess the word is used in a broad sense for lay people and the researchers are targeting very specific components of the immune system with the vaccine trials.
Ovarian cancer is so lethal because it has the ability to recruit parts of the immune system to promote itself. This includes natural killer cells, macrophages, and T-regulatory lymphocytes (among others). Because of my ignorance about ovarian cancer, I now realize that I was probably NOT doing myself any good by trying to support my immune system with various herbs postoperatively. I now realize that OVCA results from a DERANGED immune system, not a deficient one.
Just to clear something up (because I just HAVE TO do this): KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) is neither a vaccine nor an immune booster, it is considered an "adjuvant" -- a foreign protein added to the vaccine in the hope that when the immune system reacts to the shellfish protein, it will cross react to another component of the vaccine. That's all KLH is.0 -
LQ,thanks for clarifyingLaundryQueen said:From everything I've read
From everything I've read recently, I have gotten "gun shy" of most immune enhancing approaches. I guess the word is used in a broad sense for lay people and the researchers are targeting very specific components of the immune system with the vaccine trials.
Ovarian cancer is so lethal because it has the ability to recruit parts of the immune system to promote itself. This includes natural killer cells, macrophages, and T-regulatory lymphocytes (among others). Because of my ignorance about ovarian cancer, I now realize that I was probably NOT doing myself any good by trying to support my immune system with various herbs postoperatively. I now realize that OVCA results from a DERANGED immune system, not a deficient one.
Just to clear something up (because I just HAVE TO do this): KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) is neither a vaccine nor an immune booster, it is considered an "adjuvant" -- a foreign protein added to the vaccine in the hope that when the immune system reacts to the shellfish protein, it will cross react to another component of the vaccine. That's all KLH is.
LQ,
thanks for clarifying the KLH stuff. You are right. I was just using the term to lump the whole "compound" together (vaccine plus the extra protein that makes it work better).
regarding the concern about immune enhancing drug, my reading is a bit different. There is SO MUCH unknowns about this whole field, even the researchers do not know what works and what does not.
I can't gainsay your statement one way or another: what I read so far is leading me to conclude differently from you (that is, I am more gong ho about this approach), but I don't know whether I am right or not conclusively. It could be that you are absolutely on a right track, and I am not.
I only have an impression and hunch based on some discussions I had with acquaintances with bio chemistry background and working in the medical field plus whatever I managed to read so far. Some of the data I have seen have not been published anywhere: I had access to them since one of the people I talked to was a venture capitalist who is funding the medical startup developing the immunotherapy treatment for late stage cancer patients (the VC himself is a cancer survivor and he is the company's subject number 1. Complete remission. However, we all know that experiment of 1 does not prove anything. Yet, I was mighty impressed).
When I recurred, I was on a trial consisting of Doxil and another immune enhancing drug. I was booted off of it because they said "disease progression" while on treatment. I, on the other hand, felt that the trial treatment was working VERY WELL - long story. I proved that I was right but the protocol is protocol, and they judge the progress by only one yardstick. I got booted off anyway. While I was on that trial, I REALLY felt that the immune enhancing drug VTX 2337 was working VERY WELL. Another long story, but I have by now what I call cancer meter and I can feel when the tumors are getting worse or getting better. Again, no objective proof. Other than this: I am so in tune with my body, when cancer came back visible with multiple tumors on the scan only 4 weeks after a CA125 of 8, I already knew before any new CA125 test or scan that it's coming back. In fact, I already felt that it's coming back merely a week after a CA125 of 8, and my CA125 is a very good market, meaning, it's not staying low when there is already cancer: so I am pretty confident that when it was 8, I was still NED. It goes up and down with cancer in a perfect unison. I really felt that every time I got the VTX 2337 shot, my cancer activities were going down.
This whole field is so much an unknown territory. Everybody, in the end, has to make a decision one way or the other without perfectly clear guidelines and information.
I still feel that if I were to do a maintenance therapy, it will be something in the immunotherapy angle.
Good luck to everyone in their effort to come up with a solution that works for them.0 -
I really feel yourevertheoptimist said:LQ,thanks for clarifying
LQ,
thanks for clarifying the KLH stuff. You are right. I was just using the term to lump the whole "compound" together (vaccine plus the extra protein that makes it work better).
regarding the concern about immune enhancing drug, my reading is a bit different. There is SO MUCH unknowns about this whole field, even the researchers do not know what works and what does not.
I can't gainsay your statement one way or another: what I read so far is leading me to conclude differently from you (that is, I am more gong ho about this approach), but I don't know whether I am right or not conclusively. It could be that you are absolutely on a right track, and I am not.
I only have an impression and hunch based on some discussions I had with acquaintances with bio chemistry background and working in the medical field plus whatever I managed to read so far. Some of the data I have seen have not been published anywhere: I had access to them since one of the people I talked to was a venture capitalist who is funding the medical startup developing the immunotherapy treatment for late stage cancer patients (the VC himself is a cancer survivor and he is the company's subject number 1. Complete remission. However, we all know that experiment of 1 does not prove anything. Yet, I was mighty impressed).
When I recurred, I was on a trial consisting of Doxil and another immune enhancing drug. I was booted off of it because they said "disease progression" while on treatment. I, on the other hand, felt that the trial treatment was working VERY WELL - long story. I proved that I was right but the protocol is protocol, and they judge the progress by only one yardstick. I got booted off anyway. While I was on that trial, I REALLY felt that the immune enhancing drug VTX 2337 was working VERY WELL. Another long story, but I have by now what I call cancer meter and I can feel when the tumors are getting worse or getting better. Again, no objective proof. Other than this: I am so in tune with my body, when cancer came back visible with multiple tumors on the scan only 4 weeks after a CA125 of 8, I already knew before any new CA125 test or scan that it's coming back. In fact, I already felt that it's coming back merely a week after a CA125 of 8, and my CA125 is a very good market, meaning, it's not staying low when there is already cancer: so I am pretty confident that when it was 8, I was still NED. It goes up and down with cancer in a perfect unison. I really felt that every time I got the VTX 2337 shot, my cancer activities were going down.
This whole field is so much an unknown territory. Everybody, in the end, has to make a decision one way or the other without perfectly clear guidelines and information.
I still feel that if I were to do a maintenance therapy, it will be something in the immunotherapy angle.
Good luck to everyone in their effort to come up with a solution that works for them.
I really feel your frustration. In fact, I read a cancer survivor's testimonial about their scan showing a slight increase in tumor size so they went for surgery (this was not an ovarian cancer patient). The surgeon found the tumors were completely necrotic! Scans don't always tell the whole story.
I am not completely against immunotherapy--I had immunotherapy in Mexico. However, I am much more selective about anything I do to "enhance the immune system." I read that OVCA has similarities to an autoimmune condition--another example of a deranged immune system.
Targeted therapies seem very promising on paper but so far research results have been disappointing.
The other approach that's being discussed these days is therapy to target the "micro-environment" of the malignant cells. This is where diet & lifestyle changes can make an impact.
I went for a second opinion last week & found out that I am ineligible for ALL of the current GOG clinical trials because of the immunotherapy that I had in Mexico...sigh.0 -
LQ,LaundryQueen said:I really feel your
I really feel your frustration. In fact, I read a cancer survivor's testimonial about their scan showing a slight increase in tumor size so they went for surgery (this was not an ovarian cancer patient). The surgeon found the tumors were completely necrotic! Scans don't always tell the whole story.
I am not completely against immunotherapy--I had immunotherapy in Mexico. However, I am much more selective about anything I do to "enhance the immune system." I read that OVCA has similarities to an autoimmune condition--another example of a deranged immune system.
Targeted therapies seem very promising on paper but so far research results have been disappointing.
The other approach that's being discussed these days is therapy to target the "micro-environment" of the malignant cells. This is where diet & lifestyle changes can make an impact.
I went for a second opinion last week & found out that I am ineligible for ALL of the current GOG clinical trials because of the immunotherapy that I had in Mexico...sigh.
ah, the holy grail of
LQ,
ah, the holy grail of microenvironment - the terrain issue, that is.
I fully subscribe to this concept, and in fact, I am eating as healthy as anyone can possibly stomach and exercise, etc.
However, my cancer came back aggressively while I was doing all this, so I feel I need something else too. I still do not have any regrets for my healthy choices and will maintain them. Other than cancer, I am perfectly healthy (funny thing to say, right?) and my body is robust enough to handle any punishing chemo, and I believe that my healthy choices contribute mightily to this. If I were to be a long term survivor, I will end up going through many rounds of treatment, and keeping my body as healthy as can be with a healthy habit has an enormous survival value even if it is not keeping cancer at bay in and of itself.0 -
Healthy survivorevertheoptimist said:LQ,
ah, the holy grail of
LQ,
ah, the holy grail of microenvironment - the terrain issue, that is.
I fully subscribe to this concept, and in fact, I am eating as healthy as anyone can possibly stomach and exercise, etc.
However, my cancer came back aggressively while I was doing all this, so I feel I need something else too. I still do not have any regrets for my healthy choices and will maintain them. Other than cancer, I am perfectly healthy (funny thing to say, right?) and my body is robust enough to handle any punishing chemo, and I believe that my healthy choices contribute mightily to this. If I were to be a long term survivor, I will end up going through many rounds of treatment, and keeping my body as healthy as can be with a healthy habit has an enormous survival value even if it is not keeping cancer at bay in and of itself.
Evertheoptimist
I support you wholeheartedly in acknowledging your healthiness. I wish more survivors had your attitude or rather expressed it. I also feel like I have a lot more health than disease. And I agree that diet & lifestyle can help one live a quality life even if we have to resort to poisoning ourselves in order to stay alive.
I really appreciate your openness in sharing your thoughts on this forum. Thank you.0
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