Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

Immunitor unveils Phase II trial of hepcortespenlisimut-L at the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer
  • USA - English


News provided by

Immunitor LLC

Nov 03, 2015, 08:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX


This is the first time ever a treatment has been shown to cure liver cancer and offered overwhelming survival advantage to HCC patients

Post this

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (PRWEB) November 03, 2015 -- Hepcortespenlisimut-L is an allogeneic vaccine derived from patients’ blood, which is formulated into convenient, once-per-day tablet according to proprietary technology developed by Immunitor founders including Mr. Vichai Jirathitikal. The immunotherapy resulted in 93.3% overall survival rate after one year of follow-up. Complete tumor resolution along with partial responses and stable disease were observed in two out of three patients as presented at the 30th annual conference of the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), National Harbor, MD, November 4-8.

Each year, 780,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer, with 740,000 people dying from it. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks 6th among all cancer types, but occupies 2nd place in fatality. Doctors have nothing to offer people whose liver cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. In the U.S. and Europe about 40% of liver cancers are diagnosed at a late stage; elsewhere in the world, e.g., Mongolia – the main site of the study - the figure stands at 80% or more. Current standard in HCC therapy is sorafenib (Nexavar), which produces a 2% partial response and prolongs life by 3 months. In the past decade many other drugs were tested against HCC, but so far all of them have failed.

“This is the first time ever a treatment has been shown to cure liver cancer and offered overwhelming survival advantage to HCC patients,” said Dr. Aldar Bourinbaiar, CEO of Immunitor LLC - immuno-oncology specialist by training. “Typically, people diagnosed with advanced liver cancer have only a few months to live, but in this trial over 90% of patients were still alive after one year. What is remarkable is that those who had their tumor marker, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), go back to normal levels had also seen their tumors cleared regardless of the size and number of lesions.”

The mechanism of action of hepcortespenlisimut-L remains to be established, but from preliminary investigations it appears that vaccine works by eliciting powerful immune response of anti-inflammatory nature, which wipes out malignant cells. So far, no adverse side effects have been observed. Contrary, patients, the majority of whom had chronic hepatitis B or C virus infections, often with cirrhosis, have benefited from the immunotherapy by showing improved liver function as demonstrated by normalization of ALT, AST, bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase.

“Immunotherapy is now regarded as the most promising solution in a wide range of diseases and, in my opinion, is the best way to treat cancer as well. This is very promising therapeutic intervention that will potentially save many lives or at least postpone the imminent death," said Dr. Galyna Kutsyna, world-renowned immunotherapy specialist with over 20 published clinical trials to her credit. "This is very exciting. I do not want to be overly optimistic, but it will certainly change the paradigm in the management of liver cancer. We have found that the tumors shrank in as short as one month when we checked patients with a CT scan,” Kutsyna said. “Patients who lost their weight from the cancer started regaining their strength. It is exhilarating to see patients recovering from wasting and enjoying again the life they used to know," she said.

"This is an important milestone as we continue to develop hepcortespenlisimut for this very difficult to treat malignancy that ranks second after lung cancer on the list of global death rates," said Allen Bain, Ph.D., director of Immunitor Inc., in Vancouver, Canada. "We welcome all HCC patients, especially those who have been turned down as incurable, to take part in the trial. There is a hope and immediate opportunity to receive cutting edge therapy," he said. "There is no reason why this would not work with other hepatic tumors as we have seen spectacular responses in some but not all patients with cholangiocarcinoma, fibrolamellar HCC, liver metastases and even in individuals with pancreatic cancer. Though 75 patients may not sound like much, now for the first time, we have a drug that may become the standard of care in terminal liver cancer. The planned price tag is modest, starting from $500 a month, and due to a dearth of other options this will be not a barrier even in low-income countries in Africa and Asia with heavy HCC burden. For example, China alone accounts for half of liver cancers”, he added.

Orphan Drug Designation
Hepcortespenlisimut-L has been designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an orphan drug (#457714) in December of 2014. The orphan designation is assigned for rare diseases like hepatocellular carcinoma, which is diagnosed in about 30,000 people each year in the U.S. The designation creates incentives for pharmaceutical companies, which otherwise would be reluctant to invest time and money into products that will have limited market. Recently, several immunotherapeutics have been proven effective in more common cancers affecting the lung, skin, colon, breast and prostate. But so far none has been approved for liver cancer. Hepcortespenlisimut is now half-way through the pivotal Phase III clinical trial (NCT02232490) and researchers expect to continue enrolling new patients through the first quarter of 2016. The trial is designed for patients who have failed all conventional treatment options. It will document the efficacy and safety of Immunitor’s vaccine and will ultimately lay the ground for the FDA approval.

Aldar BourinbaIar, Immunitor LLC, http://www.immunitor.com, +1 917 326-9508, [email protected]

Modal title

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.