Initial analyses of tumour response in the ongoing open Phase IIa study on patients with advanced renal cancer at a progressive stage treated with TTS CD2 show encouraging results. The majority of the renal-cancer patients included in the study previously underwent treatment with Interleukin-2 or Interferon-alpha, but the disease progressed nonetheless. Following treatment with TTS CD2, 40 percent of the evaluated patients had stable disease, meaning that their tumours have stopped growing, 4 months after the commencement of treatment. One patient shows a "partial response," entailing a reduction in tumour size of more than 30 percent according to RECIST criteria. Following treatment, this patient's tumour has shrunk to less than 10 percent of its original size. Other patients had some reduction in tumour burden but did not achieve a "partial response". The side effects of the treatment are few and mild. Recruitment to this Phase II study is complete and the entire study is expected to be fully reported by the end of the year.
"The treatment has been very well tolerated and shows encouraging activity even in patients who have failed standard therapies", says Professor Robert Hawkins at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, who is responsible for the Phase II study.
Background: Today, almost 80,000 people are affected by renal cancer annually, and during 2003, the disease will cause an estimated 34,000 deaths in Europe and the US. Renal cancer is primarily treated surgically and with immunotherapies such as Interferon-alpha or Interleukin-2. These immunotherapies have proven effective but only help a limited number of patients. Furthermore, renal cancer responds poorly to chemotherapy. There is an extensive need for new treatments in this area.
Lund, June 2, 2003
Active Biotech AB (publ)
Sven Andréasson
President & CEO
For further information about Active Biotech visit www.activebiotech.com.
Active Biotech
AB is a biotechnology company focusing on research in and development of pharmaceuticals. Active Biotech has a strong R&D portfolio and pipeline products with focus primarily on autoimmune/ inflammatory diseases and cancer. Most advanced projects include orally administered small molecules with unique immunomodulatory properties that can be used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as a novel concept for use in cancer immunotherapy.
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