BN ImmunoTherapeutics starts clinical trials with prostate cancer vaccine

BN ImmunoTherapeutics, Inc. has initiated Phase I/II clinical studies with its therapeutic vaccine candidate against prostate cancer.

A Phase I/II safety and tolerability study in 18 male patients with non-metastatic as well as hormone-insensitive prostate cancer has begun enrolment in the US. Secondary objectives of the trial include examining the ability of the vaccine to induce prostate antigen-specific immune responses, as well as clinical anti-tumor activity. Preliminary data is expected during second half year 2009.

The therapeutic vaccine, based on the company's MVA-BN technology, is designed to generate cellular and humoral immune responses to PSA and PAP (prostate specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase), which are both well-known prostate cancer tumor targets.

Prostate cancer is, along with breast cancer, in the top three cancer market, each with more than 500,000 new diagnosed incidents globally per year and only limited treatment options.

Reiner Laus, MD, President & CEO of BN ImmunoTherapeutics said: "The initiation of clinical studies with our therapeutic prostate cancer vaccine advances our cancer portfolio and with both breast and prostate cancer vaccines in clinical development, we have now strengthened the cancer business area, which is an essential part of our group strategy going forward."

Located in Mountain View, California, BN ImmunoTherapeutics is a subsidiary of Bavarian Nordic, headquartered in Denmark.

Bavarian Nordic A/S is a leading industrial biotechnology company developing and producing novel vaccines for the treatment and prevention of life-threatening diseases with a large unmet medical need. The company's business strategy is focused in three areas: biodefence, cancer and infectious diseases. Bavarian Nordic's proprietary and patented technology, MVA-BN, has been demonstrated in clinical trials to be one of the world's safest, multivalent vaccine vectors. Bavarian Nordic has ongoing contracts with the US government for the late-stage development and procurement of the company's third-generation smallpox vaccine, IMVAMUNE.

Bavarian Nordic is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Copenhagen under the symbol BAVA.