Oncophage
Encyclopedia
Oncophage is a personalized cancer vaccine
by the American company Antigenics Inc.
that is currently evaluated in multiple clinical trials. It has been granted fast track and orphan drug designations from the US Food and Drug Administration for kidney cancer
, metastatic melanoma
, and glioma
.
Oncophage is not yet approved in the USA but was approved in Russia
in April 2008 for patients who have earlier-stage kidney cancer. The European Medicines Agency
is currently evaluating conditional approval for Oncophage.
Oncophage is one of a group of new drugs called cancer vaccines
that intend to train the body's immune system to fight the cancer. While chemotherapy is often accompanied by severe side effects, cancer vaccines tend to have only minimal ones (often only inflammations of the injection site).
In April 2009, the World Vaccine Congress named Oncophage as the best therapeutic vaccine.
heat shock protein
gp96 and its associated peptides.
, a common chemotherapy, in patients that are newly diagnosed with brain cancer.
A first phase I clinical trial of Oncophage in glioma extended median survival of the group of patients, which was diagnosed with multiple recurrencies of glioma, to over 10 months.
Cancer vaccine
The term cancer vaccine refers to a vaccine that either prevents infections with cancer-causing viruses, treats existing cancer or prevents the development of cancer in certain high risk individuals...
by the American company Antigenics Inc.
Antigenics Inc.
Antigenics Inc. is a biotechnology company founded in 1994 by Garo H. Armen and Pramod K. Srivastava. The company focuses on cancer vaccines, immunotherapeutics, adjuvants and infectious disease treatments. Antigenics became a public company in February 2000 on the NASDAQ exchange with the ticker...
that is currently evaluated in multiple clinical trials. It has been granted fast track and orphan drug designations from the US Food and Drug Administration for kidney cancer
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells in the kidney.The two most common types of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis...
, metastatic melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
, and glioma
Glioma
A glioma is a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine. It is called a glioma because it arises from glial cells. The most common site of gliomas is the brain.-By type of cell:...
.
Oncophage is not yet approved in the USA but was approved in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in April 2008 for patients who have earlier-stage kidney cancer. The European Medicines Agency
European Medicines Agency
The European Medicines Agency is a European agency for the evaluation of medicinal products. From 1995 to 2004, the European Medicines Agency was known as European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products.Roughly parallel to the U.S...
is currently evaluating conditional approval for Oncophage.
Oncophage is one of a group of new drugs called cancer vaccines
Cancer vaccine
The term cancer vaccine refers to a vaccine that either prevents infections with cancer-causing viruses, treats existing cancer or prevents the development of cancer in certain high risk individuals...
that intend to train the body's immune system to fight the cancer. While chemotherapy is often accompanied by severe side effects, cancer vaccines tend to have only minimal ones (often only inflammations of the injection site).
In April 2009, the World Vaccine Congress named Oncophage as the best therapeutic vaccine.
What it is
Oncophage is a vaccine made from individual patients’ tumors by extractingheat shock protein
Heat shock protein
Heat shock proteins are a class of functionally related proteins involved in the folding and unfolding of other proteins. Their expression is increased when cells are exposed to elevated temperatures or other stress. This increase in expression is transcriptionally regulated...
gp96 and its associated peptides.
Clinical trials
Oncophage for treatment of glioma (brain cancer) patients is currently investigated in two phase II clinical trials. One trial is evaluating Oncophage alone in patients with first recurrence of glioma while the second trial is evaluating Oncophage in combination with TemozolomideTemozolomide
Temozolomide Temozolomide Temozolomide (brand names Temodar and Temodal is an oral alkylating agent which can be used for the treatment of Grade IV astrocytoma — an aggressive brain tumor, also known as glioblastoma multiforme as well as melanoma, a form of skin cancer...
, a common chemotherapy, in patients that are newly diagnosed with brain cancer.
A first phase I clinical trial of Oncophage in glioma extended median survival of the group of patients, which was diagnosed with multiple recurrencies of glioma, to over 10 months.