Reduced Hepatitis C Viral Level Achieved with DNA Vaccine Delivered
by Inovio Biomedical's Electroporation Delivery System in Phase I/II
Clinical Study
SAN DIEGO (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) June 4, 2008 --
Inovio
Biomedical Corporation (AMEX:INO), a
leader in enabling the development of DNA
vaccines using electroporation-based
DNA delivery, announced today that its partner, Tripep AB, reported
preliminary results indicating a dramatic reduction in hepatitis C viral
load in its ongoing phase I/II clinical study of its ChronVac-C®
therapeutic DNA vaccine, which is delivered using Inovio’s
electroporation-based DNA delivery system. This result is from the first
patient in the middle dose group to complete treatment against hepatitis
C virus infection. Samples taken before, during and after treatment show
that the viral levels in blood successively decreased by more than 95%
during treatment. Inovio's electroporation delivery technology is
intended to enhance the potency of DNA vaccines against cancers and
infectious diseases.
ChronVac-C® is a
therapeutic vaccine given to individuals already infected with the
hepatitis C virus with the aim to clear the infection by boosting the
immune response against the virus. This clinical study is being
conducted at the Infectious Disease Clinic and Center for
Gastroenterology at the Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge and
Solna, respectively, in Sweden. The intended enrollment of 12 patients
will be divided into three dose groups with increasing doses of
ChronVac-C(R). Each patient receives four vaccinations one month apart.
After the last vaccination, patients are followed for another six
months. The study's main purpose is to assess safety. It is also testing
whether the treatment boosts the immune response to HCV (immunogenicity)
and its effect on virus replication in the liver. If the patient is
completely virus-free six months after completing treatment, he/she will
be considered cured.
In the lowest dose group, two patients who completed treatment developed
a T-cell response to hepatitis C. The preliminary result from this first
patient to complete treatment in the intermediate dose group is the
first to indicate a significant reduction in viral load. There have been
no severe adverse events.
“The benefit we would hope to see from a
successful hepatitis C virus DNA vaccine would be a dramatic reduction
in viral levels,” stated Avtar Dhillon, MD,
Inovio's president and CEO. “We look forward
to seeing the longer term results of this DNA vaccine and its potential
to address this multi-billion dollar market.”
About Inovio Biomedical Corporation
Inovio Biomedical (AMEX:INO) is focused on developing multiple
DNA-based immunotherapies and DNA vaccines. Inovio is a leader
in developing human applications of electroporation using brief,
controlled electrical pulses to increase cellular uptake of a useful
biopharmaceutical. Human data has shown that Inovio’s
electroporation-based
DNA delivery technology can significantly increase gene expression
and immune responses from DNA vaccines. Immunotherapy partners include
Merck, Wyeth, Vical, University of Southampton, Moffitt Cancer Center,
the U.S. Army, National Cancer Institute, and International Aids Vaccine
Initiative. Inovio’s technology is protected
by an extensive patent portfolio covering in vivo
electroporation. More information is available at www.inovio.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
relating to our plans to develop our electroporation drug and gene
delivery technology. Actual events or results may differ from our
expectations as a result of a number of factors, including the
uncertainties inherent in clinical trials and product development
programs (including, but not limited to, the fact that clinical results
referenced in this release may not be indicative of results achievable
in other trials or for other indications and that results from one study
may necessarily not be reflected or supported by the results of other
similar studies), the availability of funding to support continuing
research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of Inovio’s
technology as a delivery mechanism, the availability or potential
availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions
targeted by Inovio or its collaborators, including alternatives that may
be more efficacious or cost-effective than any therapy or treatment that
Inovio and its collaborators hope to develop, evaluation of potential
opportunities, issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to
them will provide Inovio with meaningful protection from others using
the covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are
enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of
others or can withstand claims of invalidity and whether Inovio can
finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to
prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures,
assessments of our technology by potential corporate or other partners
or collaborators, capital market conditions, and other factors set forth
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007,
our 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and other regulatory
filings from time to time. There can be no assurance that any product in
our product pipeline will be successfully developed or manufactured,
that final results of clinical studies will be supportive of regulatory
approvals required to market licensed products, or that any of the
forward-looking information provided herein will be proved accurate.
See the original story at: http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/inovio/vaccine/prweb998444.htm
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