- Confirmation of positive proof-of-concept with lead cancer drug candidate Bria-IMT as monotherapy demonstrates promising anti-tumor activity
- Off-the-shelf immunotherapies provide customized, cost effective treatment options
- Positive efficacy data with Bria-IMT was presented at a major breast cancer conference, the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
- BriaCell Therapeutics Corp.’s poster presentation at 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium now available for public review
- Global cancer immunotherapy market projected to be worth over $119 billion by 2021
Cancer patients facing limited therapeutic options are the focus for a team of scientists and clinicians at BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (OTCQB: BCTXF) (TSX.V: BCT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing safe and effective immunotherapy treatments for advanced breast cancer patients. BriaCell’s immunotherapy, Bria-IMT, is the company’s lead product candidate. The company recently presented promising results for two of its clinical studies (monotherapy and combination study of Bria-IMT with pembrolizumab [KEYTRUDA®; manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc.]) for patients with advanced breast cancer during the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas (http://ibn.fm/0JGCl).
“I am very excited about our data continuing to show robust biological activity of Bria-IMT™ in advanced breast cancer,” Dr. Bill Williams, BriaCell’s president & CEO, said of the company’s presentation at the international symposium that attracted over 7,000 academic and private physicians and researchers (http://ibn.fm/SaO2y). “These findings also reinforce our product development strategy for Bria-OTS™, BriaCell’s novel off-the-shelf personalized immunotherapy, by showing predictability of the anti-tumor responses in patients using a relatively simple and inexpensive HLA test.”
The therapy’s mechanism of action is thought to include providing breast cancer antigens and direct stimulation of cancer-fighting T cells, producing anti-cancer immunity and boosting response. Bria-IMT has demonstrated success in clinical trials, achieving proof of concept as reflected in positive results from a Phase IIa study (http://ibn.fm/7AGpj). Results also showed excellent tolerability and safety, demonstrating no serious side effects for patients participating in the study.
“Based on the data of three proof of concept studies to-date, Bria-IMT has shown the ability to produce powerful immune responses and elicit tumor regression even in heavily pre-treated patients with very advanced disease,” Williams added. “We are highly confident of our strategy to use Bria-IMT in combination with KEYTRUDA®, an approved treatment for multiple cancer indications, and expect synergistic activity of this combination in patients with advanced breast cancer. We look forward to additional clinical data and expect to share details at upcoming scientific meetings.”
The combination study is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03328026. KEYTRUDA is the Merck registered trade name of pembrolizumab. Copies of Bria-Cell’s abstract and poster, presented in early December at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, are available now at www.BriaCell.com/Investor-Relations/Presentations.
Cancer continues to rank as the second leading cause of death in the United States, with breast cancer being the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women (except for skin cancers), according to the American Cancer Society (http://ibn.fm/gMVHZ). A report issued by MarketsandMarkets states that the global cancer immunotherapy market is projected to reach $119.31 billion by 2021, up from $61.9 billion in 2016 and expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 14 percent (http://ibn.fm/s55LX). Factors such as the increasing incidence of cancer and rising health care expenditures are driving the market’s growth, the report states.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.BriaCell.com
