TRVX: Targovax Reports Completion of Recruitment of Patients in the Phase I/II Clinical Trial CT TG01-01

The Norwegian oncology biopharma Targovax today announced that the recruitment of patients in the phase I/II clinical trial CT TG01-01 in operable pancreatic cancer has been completed as of 31.12.2014 according to plan.

18 patients are included in the trial which is investigating TG01 in combination with chemotherapy. The company will present 12 month interim results in Q1 2016. Final study results are due in Q2 2017.

"Recruitment of patients to Targovax’s clinical trial CT TG01-01 has been completed according to plan. Reaching primary endpoint for the trial was reported in November 2014, and we see this as promising for further development”, says Hanne Mette Kristensen, CEO of Targovax.

Facts:

Targovax

Targovax was established in October in 2010 to develop immunotherapy in the form of therapeutic cancer vaccines based on pioneering research at the Norwegian Radium Hospital and Norsk Hydro. Mutation of RAS is an early mutation in the transformation of a normal cell into a cancer cell. Lead candidate TG01 educates the body’s immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells with RAS mutations. TG01 has Orphan Drug status for pancreatic cancer in the EU and US and is currently in Phase II trials in operated pancreatic cancer. The company is located in Lysaker, close to Oslo, Norway.

Immuno- oncology / Cancer vaccines

The Norwegian cancer research community has been in the forefront of understanding the mechanisms for immuno-oncology and cancer vaccines. A cancer vaccine educates the body’s immune system to recognize and kill the cancer cells. The TG01 vaccine is therapeutic and is given as treatment to patients after surgery of cancer patients, to prevent relapse.

Pancreas cancer and other RAS-mutated cancer forms

Pancreatic cancer is a disease affecting 116 000 patients each year in EU and USA, and approximately 690 persons each year in Norway. Approx 15-20% of these are discovered at an early stage and are operable. The mortality is high, and the prognosis for these patients has been more or less unchanged the last 30 years. Approximately 80-90% of patients with pancreatic cancer have RAS mutations in the cancer cells.

RAS mutations occur in approx. 20% of all cancer cases, and are also frequent in colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and other cancers. Patients with RAS mutations within these indications have proved to be difficult to treat with current treatments, and there is a significant unmet medical need.