Inovio Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Trail Data for Cancer Vaccine
Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INO), which has become famous for the exceptionally rapid development of its candidate COVID-19 vaccine, reported data for its lead vaccine candidate, VGX-3100, which treats anal dysplasia, a precancerous condition caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18.
An interim look at the first 20 patients in the phase 2 clinical trial showed half of the patients had clearance of HPV-16/18 associated precancerous lesions, and 75% had a decrease in the number of lesions after 6 months. None of the patients had advanced to anal cancer. The results will be presented at a virtual session of the annual American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.
Anal dysplasia lesions can be removed through surgery, electro-cautery or laser therapy, but they recur in up to half of patients within one year of treatment, and nearly 70% have recurrences within three years. In theory, VGX-3100 should induce the immune system to create antibodies to HPV-16/18 and protect patients from getting anal dysplasia again, but Inovio will have to follow patients for many years to confirm that's the case.
Source Fool.com
