re-read phase 2a results of all terminally ill

Please note all patients were terminally ill with no chances of survival. What do you think Phase 2b results will show? Can't wait for October.

http://www.austin.org.au/Assets/Files/Media%20Release%20-%20Vaccine%20produces%20positive%20results%20for%20ovarian%20cancer%20sufferers.pdf


***Media release***
Vaccine produces positive results for ovarian cancer sufferers

Women are one step closer to accessing a revolutionary ovarian cancer vaccine after doctors from the Austin Hospital and scientists from Prima BioMed announced the results of an Australian clinical study today.
Phase IIa trials of the CVac vaccine produced encouraging results with four patients responding positively to treatment, exceeding the expectations of the study’s conductors.
Dr Paul Mitchell, Medical Director of Cancer Services at Austin Health, led the trial and said the results illustrated “a clear benefit in patients with progressive ovarian cancer”.
“As far as we’re concerned, we’ve got evidence that for some patients with incurable ovarian cancer, the CVac vaccine has proven to be an effective treatment with minimal side effects. It’s been very promising,” said Dr Mitchell.
The trial saw 21 women, all with advanced late-stage ovarian cancer and at least six months to live, receive the CVac treatment. The trial participants had had past surgery and extensive chemotherapy in an attempt to control their cancer, however, at the time of entering the trial, their disease was progressing.
The treatment is a cell therapy that uses an ovarian cancer sufferer’s own dendritic cells – a rare type of white blood cell that induces immunity. These cells are extracted from the patient and “trained” using the CVac vaccine to recognise and fight cancer cells when reintroduced into the patient’s body.
Of the four patients who responded positively to therapy, three showed significant tumour regression while one patient stabilised and saw no tumour progression. Upon completion of the treatment, all four patients’ diseases were stable.

While a success rate of four out of 21 women treated with CVac may seem slight, Dr Mitchell says it’s significant when you consider that all patients were terminal upon commencement of the trial with other forms of cancer treatment proving unsuccessful.
“The enrolled patients had incurable advanced ovarian cancer and most had received extensive prior therapy such that responses to standard chemotherapy would not be expected,” he said.
One such patient who responded positively to the vaccine was Rosalie Martin. Ms Martin began the treatment 15 months ago weighing a mere 39 kilograms.
“I knew I had to battle to keep things going,” said Ms Martin.
“You come onto the CVac trial where one has eight very small injections at various periods of time with no after-effect whatsoever, (it) allows me personally to live a very full life,” she said.
Media enquiries should be directed to:
John Heselev
Austin Health Corporate Communications
9496 5228 or 0407 324 494

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