GVAX® Cancer Immunotherapy
GVAX cancer immunotherapy is Cell Genesys’ lead product platform. GVAX cancer immunotherapies are designed to stimulate a patient's immune system against tumor cells as a means to potentially treating the disease. By harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer, GVAX cancer immunotherapies hold the potential to provide cancer patients with a therapeutic option that may offer greater efficacy and a more favorable safety profile than what is commonly seen with conventional cancer therapies.
Key features
GVAX cancer immunotherapies are comprised of whole tumor cells that are modified to secrete granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a potent immune stimulatory cytokine that plays a key role in activating the immune system. The modified cells are irradiated for safety, arresting their growth but allowing them to remain metabolically active and secrete GM-CSF. Since GVAX cancer immunotherapies are comprised of whole tumor cells, the patient's immune system is presented with multiple antigens. Using this multi-antigen approach could serve to stimulate a broader and more robust immune response than if only one antigen was presented. This in turn could result in greater clinical benefit.
GVAX cancer immunotherapies are administered via intradermal injections on an outpatient basis. As a non patient-specific product, GVAX cancer immunotherapies can be manufactured on a large scale in a centralized cGMP manufacturing facility.
Encouraging Clinical Data
To date, more than 600 patients have received GVAX cancer immunotherapies in mulitple Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. Data from Phase 1 and 2 trials in multiple types of cancer suggest that GVAX cancer immunotherapies have a favorable safety profile and do not exhibit many of the toxicities associated with conventional cancer therapies. The most common side effects associated with GVAX cancer immunotherapies include mild flu-like symptoms and transient inflammation at the injection site.