Viventia Biotech has announced results of in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies conducted to evaluate the potential for combining its phase III anti-cancer antibody therapeutic, Proxinium, with first-line standard of care therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head & neck (SCCHN).
The data were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), in Los Angeles, California.
Viventia's lead product, Proxinium, is being developed to treat late stage, locally advanced head and neck cancer and is currently enrolling patients in its TARGET trial, a pivotal Phase III global clinical trial that is expected to complete accrual by the end of 2007. Proxinium targets the cancer antigen EpCAM.
The combination of Proxinium with cisplatin, carboplatin, paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil, and docetaxel resulted in a significant additive cytotoxic effect (p < 0.05) as compared to the chemotherapeutic agents administered alone. The sequence of drug administration did not influence the outcome. The combination of Proxinium with radiotherapy led to a synergistic cytotoxic effect when Proxinium was administered after radiotherapy or additive effects when Proxinium was administered before or at the same time as radiotherapy.
"The data from these studies clearly demonstrate the additive cytotoxic effect of Proxinium when used either in combination with chemotherapeutic agents or with radiation therapy," said Dr. Barry Wenig, Head of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Cancer at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Centre. "These data offer exciting possibilities for the use of Proxinium not solely as a local immunotherapy, but more importantly as an adjunct to the current first-line therapies and even as a precursor to surgery."