PsiOxus Therapeutics, Ltd. (PsiOxus), a development stage biotechnology company, today announced the award of a £1.7 million ($2.7 million) grant from the UK government-backed Biomedical Catalyst to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial to assess the use of ColoAd1 in the treatment of platinum-resistant, recurrent ovarian cancer. The OCTAVE (Ovarian Cancer Treated with AdenoVirus) study will be the second clinical trial of the systemically available oncolytic vaccine ColoAd1, which is a highly potent, broad-spectrum, anticancer therapeutic capable of destroying tumour cells at minute concentrations.
The OCTAVE Phase I/II study will assess the safety and efficacy of ColoAd1 when given to patients by intra-peritoneal perfusion at multiple UK cancer centres beginning in 2013. The Principal Investigator of the OCTAVE study will be Professor Iain McNeish from the Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Over 50 ovarian cancer patients will receive multiple doses of intra-peritoneal ColoAd1 in this clinical trial and will be assessed for immunological responses as well as tumor response and survival.
"Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death for women in the UK," said Iain McNeish, Professor of Gynecological Oncology at the University of Glasgow Institute of Cancer Sciences. "This funding for the OCTAVE study will enable us to evaluate in great detail the use of ColoAd1 as a very exciting potential new treatment for ovarian cancer."
The grant is part of the £180 million Biomedical Catalyst, a programme of public funding designed to deliver growth to the UK life sciences sector. Operated jointly by the Medical Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board, it aims to provide responsive and effective support for the best life science opportunities that demonstrate the highest scientific and commercial potential.
"We are delighted to be a recipient of this Biomedical Catalyst award in recognition of the important potential of our ColoAd1 oncolytic vaccine in addressing this global healthcare challenge. This form of matched funding is critical to help boost the UK life science sector and early stage biotechnology companies, such as PsiOxus," said Dr. John Beadle, CEO of PsiOxus Therapeutics. "This grant enables PsiOxus to examine this exciting cancer vaccine in a second form of metastatic cancer, thus demonstrating its medical and commercial potential as a broad spectrum anti-cancer therapeutic."
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