ImmunoCellular says 55% of patients achieve long-term overall survival with phase 1 cancer drug

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics (OTCBB:IMUC) announced Monday that 55% of patients involved in its phase 1 clinical trial of its ICT-107 drug to combat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) achieved overall survival at three years after treatment.
The Los Angeles-based company's cancer vaccine, named ICT-107, is designed to treat GBM, an aggressive type of brain tumour.
The vaccine uses cancer stem cells to target multiple tumour-associated antigens, which generate an antibody response from the body's own immune system.
In other words, white blood cells are primed in the lab to attach to markers present in brain tumours, and these cells are then injected back into the body, where they travel to the brain and attack tumour cells.
The phase 1 clinical trial saw 16 patients with newly diagnosed GMB receive three injections of ICT-107, in addition to standard treatment, which includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
ImmunoCellular previously reported a two-year survival rate of 80.2%, compared to 26.5% with standard care alone.
At three years, 55% of patients achieved overall survival, compared to 16% with standard care alone. After three years, 38% of patients continue to show no tumour recurrence, compared to 6% without the aid of ICT-107. After four years, 19% of patients remain disease-free.
"Patients receiving ICT-107 continue to demonstrate substantially longer overall and progression-free survival rates compared to historical standard of care, providing further evidence of ICT-107's potential to provide urgently needed improvements in GBM treatment," said president and CEO, Manish Singh.
"As we continue enrolling our Phase II study in GBM, the strength of this three-year Phase I data reinforces our confidence that we will continue to see a clear survival benefit, in addition to excellent safety, in patients treated with ICT-107."
Currently, ImmunoCellular, whose stock on the OTC Bulletin Board rose 0.62% to $1.61 as of 2:22 pm EDT, is conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ICT-107 in 102 newly diagnosed patients with GMB.