Vaccine trials for NHL

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Cancer Vaccine Elicits Response in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 10 - Genitope Corp. on Saturday

released interim phase II results indicating that the company's

idiotype immunotherapy induced an anti-tumor immune response in

patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Results in 14 patients in the ongoing trial at Stanford University

Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Medical Center were

presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology

in Orlando, Florida.

Eight of the 14 demonstrated anti-tumor immune responses, as measured

by the production of antibodies and the cellular responses of the

patients. The vaccine also appeared to be safe and non-toxic,

according to Redwood City, California-based Genitope. The only side

effects reported, due to immune stimulation, were inflammation at the

site of the injection and flu-like symptoms.

Genitope already has completed testing the therapy in a phase II

trial of low-grade B cell NHL patients. The company launched a 360-

patient phase III trial for low-grade lymphoma patients in November

2000.

" In testing low-grade [b-cell non-Hodgkin's] lymphoma patients, we

settled on a six-month window to create the vaccine and let

[patients'] immune systems recover, " Genitope CEO Dan Denney told

Reuters Health. " For high-grade patients, we were not comfortable

waiting six months because the cancer is too aggressive. We're very

pleased we could manufacture the idiotype within three months and

that the patients' immune systems were strong enough to receive it. "

Denney said that Genitope would continue to test the vaccine in

additional aggressive NHL patients.