Thank Carlene for info about DPX-Survivac study

antcat
antcat Member Posts: 270
Dear Carlene, thank you for sharing that information about the FDA approve immunovaccine's application for a Phase I/II clinical trial for an ovarian cancer vaccine. You are really a good researcher and always share information with us. It's funny, no oncologists seems to share this type of information with a patient, all they seem to do is push the "standard chemotherapy treatments." I tried doing a little research on this also, but don't really understand it because in a June 20, 2011 article I saw, it said that the study began last April enrolling 20-24 patients at five U.S. sites with breast, ovarian and prostate cancer and that interim results are scheduled to be released in the 4th quarter of this year (I guess they meant 2010) and final results in the 1st quarter of 2011. I tried going on the NCI, and couldn't see where they had this trial so I don't know if there was one. If you ever come across any more info about this trial, could you please let us know. I've been with this cancer since 2006 and now have been on constant chemotherapy since last year and after awhile it just takes a toll on a person. Again, thank you for always providing us with so much information and I wish you the best of luck with your surgery next week.

Comments

  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    Immune modulating drug used with vaccine
    I see that the immune modulating drug that is used in this clinical trial is some kind of chemotherapy--which makes NO SENSE at all to me. Unless they are using the term "chemotherapy" in a very broad sense of the word...in a way that the targeted therapies might be called chemotherapy.

    In general, chemotherapy suppresses the immune system (which could be considered as "immune modulating")--when the white blood cells drop, that means the immune system is suppressed. On the other hand, a vaccine is supposed to work by ENHANCING the immune system. Kind of oxymoronic to be using chemo with a vaccine...but maybe the researchers feel that it is unethical to treat without using chemo.

    I will be watching out for this trial just to see EXACTLY what the immune modulating chemotherapy is. I feel that working with the immune system is the way to go to have any hope of long-term survival or long-term progression-free intervals...chemo just buys you time.

    Carolen
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    Ancat....
    Originally this

    Ancat....

    Originally this was supposed to be a multi-cancer vaccine, and they first did clinical trials with that goal in mind. They have since decided to concentrate on Ovarian Cancer, so it's a bit like a whole new trial, but at the same time, it's not.

    Here's a blurb from a press release about it:
    The clinical development plan includes completing more detailed safety and immunogenicity data over the next few months to support a potential future investigational new drug regulatory filing with the FDA. The clinical plan foresees a seamless transition from the Phase 1 into the Phase 2.

    I don't believe the trial will be open in the US until the Fall of 2011.

    Carlene