Generex Biotechnology Corporation (www.generex.com) (OTC Bulletin Board: GNBT) announced today that its wholly-owned immunotherapeutics subsidiary, Antigen Express, Inc. (www.antigenexpress.com), has been awarded two Therapeutic Discovery Project grants, totaling $488,958.50, by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
The Antigen Express Therapeutic Discovery Projects are entitled:
- Ii-Key Her-2/neu Peptide Vaccine, for the treatment of breast cancer
- Ii-Key Her-2/neu Peptide Vaccine, for the treatment of prostate cancer
The proprietary vaccine being developed by Antigen Express is an off-the-shelf product designed to reduce the risk of relapse in cancer patients. It is the subject of a controlled, randomized Phase II trial in patients with breast cancer which has yielded positive interim results. Based on positive results from a Phase I trial in prostate cancer patients, preparations for a Phase II clinical trial in prostate cancer patients are underway. In all studies, the self-potentiating vaccine has shown very low toxicity and generates a good immune response.
The Therapeutic Discovery Project grants are targeted for projects that show a reasonable potential to: result in new therapies to treat areas of unmet medical need or prevent, detect, or treat chronic or acute diseases and conditions; reduce the long-term growth of health care costs in the United States; or, significantly advance the goal of curing cancer within 30 years. Grant allocations also take into consideration which projects show the greatest potential to create and sustain high-quality, high-paying U.S. jobs, and to advance U.S. competitiveness in life, biological, and medical sciences.