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September 13, 2007A shot in the arm against cancer.To date, the only marketed cancer vaccines are those that combat viral infections associated with cervical cancer (HPV) and liver cancer (hepatitis B). However, for the past several years researchers have been struggling to create vaccines that could help the human immune system recognize and attack tumor cells after the disease has become clinically apparent. Unfortunately, this task has proven to be incredibly difficult, as cancer cells actually hide from the immune system. Still, after a series of disappointing efforts, a handful of companies are moving their products into late stage clinical trials: Glaxo in June said it will recruit more than 2,000 patients for a Phase III study of the lung-cancer vaccine MAGE-A3, which it bought from the U.S.'s Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in 2000. Merck KGaA also is in the process of recruiting more than 1,300 patients for a Phase III study of its lung-cancer vaccine Stimuvax, bought from Canada's Biomira Inc. Haakan Mellstedt, a professor in oncological biotherapy at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, says the development of vaccines is difficult, expensive and takes time but clinical results are starting to show progress. "There are possibilities here, and now the big companies are starting to be interested, but they haven't had the courage before because it has been too risky for them," he says. Unlike other cancer treatments, which can cause hair loss, infections and vomiting, scientists believe the vaccines won't have any notable side effects because very few problems have been reported thus far in trials. Here's hoping the technology finally bears fruit.
Posted by Paul Howard at September 13, 2007 02:15 PM CommentsPost a comment |
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