Dendreon's Provenge FDA Approval Paves the Way for Cancer Immunotherapy

ProActive NewsRoom — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:25:00 GMT

Shares of Dendreon (NASDAQ:DNDN) gained over 25% today, closing at a market cap that is approaching $7 billion before after receiving FDA approval of its patient-derived (autologous) therapeutic cancer vaccine (active immunotherapy) PROVENGE (sipuleucel-T) for the treatment of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic, castrate-resistant (hormone-refractory) prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. PROVENGE is the first FDA approved product for this new class of therapeutics, which is designed to stimulate a patient's own immune system to attack cancer cells in a targeted manner with less harsh side effects (flu-like symptoms) compared to traditional treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

Shares of related cancer immunotherapy companies also experienced strong gains today, including Celldex Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CLDX), ImmunoCellular Therapeutics (OTCBB:IMUC), Oncothyreon (NASDAQ:ONTY), Vical (NASDAQ:VICL), Antigenics (NASDAQ:AGEN), and Biovest (OTC:BVTI.PK).

Quantum Immunologics (QI) Announces Landmark Patent Filings

ProActive NewsRoom — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:31:00 GMT

Quantum Immunologics, Inc. (QI) announced today that its intellectual patent counsel, Wei-ning Yang, of Hogan and Hartson has filed with the U. S. Patent & Trademark Office, two international patent applications on behalf of the Company on March 26, 2010, that include significant opportunities to harness a patient's own immune system to prevent, monitor, diagnose, and treat a wide variety of cancers.

The patent applications encompass both OFA peptides and related antibodies, including (1) Oncofetal Antigen/Laminin Receptor Antibodies for Diagnostic and Clinical Applications, Application Number -- PCT/US2010/028948, and (2) Oncofetal Antigen/Laminin Receptor Peptides for the Sensitization of Dendritic Cells for Cancer Therapy, Application Number -- PCT/US2010/028945. These patent filings can significantly amplify the pipeline of QI and are expected to play a considerable role in the approach of QI regarding the company's subsequent Investigative New Drug (IND) applications.

QI's approach to cancer immunotherapy involves sensitizing the dendritic cells (which present foreign antigens to the immune system) from a patient's blood to educate and direct the immune system to attack malignant tumor cells in a targeted effort to eradicate or stabilize the disease. This integrated approach to the treatment, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancer is being developed to create novel, individualized products and services that offer a high rate of efficacy and minimal side effects by harnessing the innate power of the immune system in a targeted manner against the disease.

Quantum Immunologics, Inc. (QI) is a privately held company that is dedicated to improving the treatment outcome and quality of life for cancer patients through the research, development, and commercialization of innovative, cost-effective therapeutic and diagnostic products. QI's scientific approach links the immunogenic and invasive properties of malignant cancers with a specific protein known as oncofetal antigen immature laminin receptor protein (OFA-iLRP) that is uniquely expressed on cancer cells, but is not found on normal cells outside of early fetal development.

QI has received FDA authorization to apply its exclusively licensed patented immunotherapy in a Phase I/II human clinical study that involves a cohort of 27 patients with advanced-stage metastatic breast cancer. The ongoing study is designed around the use of QI's proprietary dendritic cell therapy, which employs oncofetal antigen ("OFA") to recruit the patient's own immune system to target and combat the cancer cells with the intent to improve both patient survival and quality of life.

QI News Room

Dendreon's Provenge FDA Approval Paves the Way for Cancer Immunotherapy

Quantum Immunologics (QI) Announces Landmark Patent Filings