Patients whose immune system responded to a peptide vaccine for leukemia enjoyed a median remission that was more than three times longer than non-responders, a team led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.
Immune response to the PR1 vaccine was associated with an 8.7 month event-free survival compared with 2.4 months for non-responders. Clinical responses ranging from improvements in blood counts to complete cytogenetic remission were observed in 36% of the responders compared with 10% of non-responders.
“We did not expect dramatic responses in this clinical trial, and were pleasantly surprised to see the clinical responses and improved event-free survival,” says Muzaffar Qazilbash, M.D., associate professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.
The Phase I/II clinical trial that ran from 2000 to 2006 was designed to assess the vaccine’s safety and its ability to elicit an immune response. Toxicity was limited to low-grade injection site side effects such as redness, swelling and some pain.
Release date: December 9, 2007
Source: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
