Immunicum has started its phase II clinical study of Intuvax, a therapeutic vaccine for metastatic kidney cancer.

Intuvax is based on a technology developed by Immunicum’s research director and founder Alex K-Parra. It involves using dendritic cells from healthy blood donors in order to get the patients ‘ own immune systems to eliminate cancer cells.

Cells in the Immunicums vaccine can be enabled in advance, divided up and frozen until they are used, which enables production of the vaccine on a larger scale.

The study, which was approved by the FDA in February, will cover a total of 90 patients at 20 centers in Europe. Sixty percent of patients will have an intermediate-risk forecast and the rest will be considered at high risk.

All patients will betreated with the approved kidney cancer drug sunitinib and half will also get Intuvax injected into the primary tumor on two occasions, before the kidney with the tumor is surgically removed. Patients then will be followed for 18 months.

Source: Life Science Sweden