Immunotherapy News and Research

Latest Immunotherapy News and Research

RXi Pharmaceuticals acquires Apthera

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted and immunotherapy technologies, today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Apthera, Inc.

15 Apr 2011

Positive results from ULCA's Phase 1 dendritic cell vaccine trial in glioblastoma

A novel brain tumor vaccine clinical trial study demonstrates a longer survival time in patients with glioblastoma, according to findings being presented at the 79th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Denver.

12 Apr 2011

NEJM: Perspectives from Aaron, Reinhardt, Iglehart, Annas, Chambers and others

This week's New England Journal of Medicine features perspectives from prominent authors on Medicare and Medicaid. NEJM granted KHN permission to excerpt substantial portions of these columns.

8 Apr 2011

Hope4Cancer offers gentle non-invasive therapies for patients with brain tumor

Linda Roberts was puzzled when her favorite food, chocolate ice cream, suddenly did not taste good, and her prized orchids didn't smell nice either. When she began having sudden, severe headaches, she mentioned the changes in taste and smell to her doctor. After several tests, Roberts was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain tumor.

8 Apr 2011

U.S., Canada research institutions to participate in NCI's Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network

Research institutions at 27 sites in the U.S. and Canada have been selected to participate in the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, a new initiative in immunotherapy funded by the National Cancer Institute and headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

7 Apr 2011

Roswell Park Cancer Institute selected to be part of Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network

Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is one of 27 North American research institutions that have been selected to be part of the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN), a new immunotherapy initiative funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG, Director of the Center for Immunotherapy and Chair of Gynecologic Oncology at RPCI, will serve as Principal Investigator of the Institute's role in this collaborative investigative effort.

6 Apr 2011

Celldex presents CDX-1127 preclinical data against cancer at AACR meeting

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that new data on its preclinical therapeutic antibody program, CDX-1127, is being presented in a poster presentation at the 2011 American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL.

6 Apr 2011

Tumor cryoablation coupled with immunotherapy amplifies tumor immunity

Scientists at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit today presented data at the American Association for Cancer Research's 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 showing that when tumor cryoablation – or the freezing of tumor tissue while preserving tumor-associated antigens – is coupled with immune system modulation, the procedures have the potential to initiate or amplify tumor immunity.

5 Apr 2011

Jennerex, Transgene present JX-594 Phase 1 and 2 study data in liver cancer at EASL meeting

Jennerex, Inc., a private clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development and commercialization of first-in-class targeted oncolytic products for cancer, and Transgene,a bio-pharmaceutical company specialized in the development of immunotherapeutic products, today announced that new data from Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies of JX-594 were presented in an oral presentation at the 46th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver over the weekend at the Internationales Congress Centrum in Berlin, Germany.

5 Apr 2011

Cancer Discovery to present practice-changing research at AACR meeting

Cancer Discovery, the newest journal in the robust publication program of the American Association for Cancer Research, will debut at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held here from April 2-6.

4 Apr 2011

Medicare moves to pay for Provenge

On Wednesday, Medicare officials signaled the federal insurance program will pay for this costly prostate cancer drug, a move that National Journal described as heading off "accusations that the [government] would be 'rationing' care."

1 Apr 2011

NCI awards Case Western Reserve with $1.6 million grant for cancer research

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has received a $1.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study how tumor cells avoid detection by the body's immune system, allowing cancer to develop and spread.

1 Apr 2011

Immune therapy can control fertility in mammals

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males. For pets, the technique could be an alternative to castration and adverse effects of hormone administration.

31 Mar 2011

RXi Pharmaceuticals to acquire Apthera

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a recognized leader in RNAi-based therapeutic discovery and development, and Apthera, Inc., a private biotechnology company developing a pipeline of peptide-based immunotherapies for the adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast and other cancers, announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which RXi will acquire Apthera.

31 Mar 2011

CEL-SCI to initiate Multikine Phase III trial against head and neck cancer in Israel

CEL-SCI Corporation announced today that the State of Israel's Ministry of Health has given approval to begin enrollment of subjects for a Phase III clinical trial of Multikine in Israel.

31 Mar 2011

Prostate cancer drug and a new drug to prevent preterm births cause cost concerns, controversy

News outlets report on the political dilemma involved with Provenge — a cancer drug — as well as the impact that Makena — the medicine that can prevent preterm births — could have on the nation's high health care costs.

30 Mar 2011

MRF: FDA's decision on Yervoy offers new treatment options for patients with melanoma

Thirteen years of waiting is now over for melanoma patients. That's how long it's been since the last therapy became available to treat the most lethal form of skin cancer – melanoma. The FDA today announced approval of Yervoy, an immunotherapy treatment for advanced melanoma.

28 Mar 2011