Re: s Hopkins Press Release - CML Vaccine

[Guest guest]

I would get your hopes up that this vaccine represents any kind of cure.

CML is very tricky and we have to be wary of hype from hospital PR departments.

From: phoenixpat <phoenixpat@...>

Subject: [ ] s Hopkins Press Release - CML Vaccine

Date: Saturday, January 9, 2010, 12:28 PM

 

Public release date: 6-Jan-2010

s Hopkins researchers say vaccine appears to 'mop up' leukemia cells Gleevec

leaves behind

Team cautions that results are very preliminary and they cannot yet rule out

other reasons for success

s Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say preliminary studies show that

a vaccine made with leukemia cells may be able to reduce or eliminate the last

remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients taking

the drug Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).

Gleevec, one of the first targeted cancer therapies with wide success in CML

patients, destroys most leukemic cells in the body, but in most patients, some

cancerous cells remain and are measurable with sensitive molecular tests. These

remaining cells are a source of relapse, according to the investigators,

especially if Gleevec therapy is stopped.

In a pilot study published in Clinical Cancer Research, the s Hopkins

investigators used a vaccine made from CML cells irradiated to halt their

cancerous potential and genetically altered to produce an immune system

stimulator called GM-CSF. The treated cells also carry molecules, called

antigens, specific to CML cells, which prime the immune system to recognize and

kill circulating CML cells.

The study vaccine was given to 19 CML patients with measurable cancer cells,

despite taking Gleevec for at least one year. A series of 10 skin injections

were given every three weeks for a total of four times. After a median of 72

months of follow-up, the number of remaining cancer cells declined in 13

patients, 12 of whom reached their lowest levels of residual cancer cells. In

seven patients, CML became completely undetectable. Because the study was

conducted in a limited number of patients and not compared with other therapies,

the researchers warn they cannot be sure that the responses were a result of the

vaccine.

" We want to get rid of every last cancer cell in the body, and using cancer

vaccines may be a good way to mop up residual disease, " says Hyam Levitsky,

M.D., professor of oncology, medicine and urology at the s Hopkins Kimmel

Cancer Center. More research to confirm and expand the results is needed,

Levitsky said.

The investigators will be testing blood samples taken from the study patients to

identify the precise antigens that the immune system is recognizing. With this

information, they will tailor their vaccine for additional studies that monitor

immune response more precisely.

Patients receiving the trial vaccine experienced relatively few side effects

that included injection site pain and swelling, occasional muscle aches and mild

fevers.

According to the investigators, most patients with CML will need to remain on

Gleevec therapy for the rest of their lives. More than 90 percent of them will

achieve remission, but about 10 to 15 percent of patients cannot tolerate the

drug long term. " Often patients have low blood cell counts, fluid retention,

significant nausea and other gastrointestinal problems, " says B. ,

M.D., associate professor of oncology at the s Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Secondary therapies, including dasatinib and nilotinib, also have many side

effects.

Another common side effect of Gleevec, says , is fatigue. " Patients often

tell me that they feel about 80 to 90 percent of what they should, and over

time, this may have a big impact on their quality of life, " he says.

Gleevec also cannot be taken during pregnancy, and since one-third of CML

patients are in their 20s and 30s, many patients hoping to start families would

like to discontinue taking it.

" Ultimately, should this vaccine approach prove to be successful, the ability to

get patients off lifelong Gleevec therapy would be a significant advance, " says

Levitsky.

###

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Study contributors include Yvette Kasamon, Jeanne Kowalski, Gocke,

Kathleen , Hua-Ling Tsai, Lu Qin, Chia, Barbara Biedrzycki, and

from s Hopkins; Carole from St. Agnes Hospital;

Garrett-Mayer from the Medical University of South Carolina; and

Harding and Guang Haun Tu from Cell Genesys, Inc.

Under a licensing agreement between BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. and the s

Hopkins University, Dr. Levitsky is entitled to a share of milestone payments

and a share of royalty received by the University on sales of GVAX. Dr. Levitsky

previously served as a paid consultant to Cell Genesys, which has since been

acquired by BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. The terms of this arrangement are

being managed by the s Hopkins University in accordance with its

conflict-of- interest policies.

On the Web: www.hopkinskimmelca ncercenter. org

[Guest guest]

Carl - I joined this group because I am newly diagnosed with CML and hope to

learn from others who have more experience with it. I posted this article in the

hopes of learning more about this, and because the same research is also

underway for other cancers. The last thing any of us need is to be discouraged.

I'm sure there were people who mocked the initial research that led to Gleevec

but those who believed in the potential for this type of treatment didn't give

up.

Pat Elliott

Healthcare Public Relations Professional

>

> I would get your hopes up that this vaccine represents any kind of cure.

>

> CML is very tricky and we have to be wary of hype from hospital PR

departments.

>

[Guest guest]

I doubt Carl was mocking the press release.   We have all seen many that have

not turned out to be as good as they were promoted in the release.   One thing

I did not see mentioned is if the vaccine would be able to attack CML stem

cells - that I believe is a critical item.

From: phoenixpat <phoenixpat@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] s Hopkins Press Release - CML Vaccine

Date: Monday, January 11, 2010, 5:57 PM

 

Carl - I joined this group because I am newly diagnosed with CML and hope to

learn from others who have more experience with it. I posted this article in the

hopes of learning more about this, and because the same research is also

underway for other cancers. The last thing any of us need is to be discouraged.

I'm sure there were people who mocked the initial research that led to Gleevec

but those who believed in the potential for this type of treatment didn't give

up.

Pat Elliott

Healthcare Public Relations Professional

>

> I would get your hopes up that this vaccine represents any kind of cure.

>

> CML is very tricky and we have to be wary of hype from hospital PR

departments.

>

[Guest guest]

I doubt Carl was mocking the press release.   We have all seen many that have

not turned out to be as good as they were promoted in the release.   One thing

I did not see mentioned is if the vaccine would be able to attack CML stem

cells - that I believe is a critical item.

From: phoenixpat <phoenixpat@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] s Hopkins Press Release - CML Vaccine

Date: Monday, January 11, 2010, 5:57 PM

 

Carl - I joined this group because I am newly diagnosed with CML and hope to

learn from others who have more experience with it. I posted this article in the

hopes of learning more about this, and because the same research is also

underway for other cancers. The last thing any of us need is to be discouraged.

I'm sure there were people who mocked the initial research that led to Gleevec

but those who believed in the potential for this type of treatment didn't give

up.

Pat Elliott

Healthcare Public Relations Professional

>

> I would get your hopes up that this vaccine represents any kind of cure.

>

> CML is very tricky and we have to be wary of hype from hospital PR

departments.

>

[Guest guest]

HOLY TOLEDO

On Sat, Jan 9, 2010 at 9:28 AM, phoenixpat <phoenixpat@...> wrote:

>

>

> Public release date: 6-Jan-2010

>

> s Hopkins researchers say vaccine appears to 'mop up' leukemia cells

> Gleevec leaves behind

>

> Team cautions that results are very preliminary and they cannot yet rule

> out other reasons for success

>

> s Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say preliminary studies show

> that a vaccine made with leukemia cells may be able to reduce or eliminate

> the last remaining cancer cells in some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)

> patients taking the drug Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec).

>

> Gleevec, one of the first targeted cancer therapies with wide success in

> CML patients, destroys most leukemic cells in the body, but in most

> patients, some cancerous cells remain and are measurable with sensitive

> molecular tests. These remaining cells are a source of relapse, according to

> the investigators, especially if Gleevec therapy is stopped.

>

> In a pilot study published in Clinical Cancer Research, the s Hopkins

> investigators used a vaccine made from CML cells irradiated to halt their

> cancerous potential and genetically altered to produce an immune system

> stimulator called GM-CSF. The treated cells also carry molecules, called

> antigens, specific to CML cells, which prime the immune system to recognize

> and kill circulating CML cells.

>

> The study vaccine was given to 19 CML patients with measurable cancer

> cells, despite taking Gleevec for at least one year. A series of 10 skin

> injections were given every three weeks for a total of four times. After a

> median of 72 months of follow-up, the number of remaining cancer cells

> declined in 13 patients, 12 of whom reached their lowest levels of residual

> cancer cells. In seven patients, CML became completely undetectable. Because

> the study was conducted in a limited number of patients and not compared

> with other therapies, the researchers warn they cannot be sure that the

> responses were a result of the vaccine.

>

> " We want to get rid of every last cancer cell in the body, and using cancer

> vaccines may be a good way to mop up residual disease, " says Hyam Levitsky,

> M.D., professor of oncology, medicine and urology at the s Hopkins

> Kimmel Cancer Center. More research to confirm and expand the results is

> needed, Levitsky said.

>

> The investigators will be testing blood samples taken from the study

> patients to identify the precise antigens that the immune system is

> recognizing. With this information, they will tailor their vaccine for

> additional studies that monitor immune response more precisely.

>

> Patients receiving the trial vaccine experienced relatively few side

> effects that included injection site pain and swelling, occasional muscle

> aches and mild fevers.

>

> According to the investigators, most patients with CML will need to remain

> on Gleevec therapy for the rest of their lives. More than 90 percent of them

> will achieve remission, but about 10 to 15 percent of patients cannot

> tolerate the drug long term. " Often patients have low blood cell counts,

> fluid retention, significant nausea and other gastrointestinal problems, "

> says B. , M.D., associate professor of oncology at the s

> Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Secondary therapies, including dasatinib and

> nilotinib, also have many side effects.

>

> Another common side effect of Gleevec, says , is fatigue. " Patients

> often tell me that they feel about 80 to 90 percent of what they should, and

> over time, this may have a big impact on their quality of life, " he says.

>

> Gleevec also cannot be taken during pregnancy, and since one-third of CML

> patients are in their 20s and 30s, many patients hoping to start families

> would like to discontinue taking it.

>

> " Ultimately, should this vaccine approach prove to be successful, the

> ability to get patients off lifelong Gleevec therapy would be a significant

> advance, " says Levitsky.

>

> ###

>

> The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

>

> Study contributors include Yvette Kasamon, Jeanne Kowalski,

> Gocke, Kathleen , Hua-Ling Tsai, Lu Qin, Chia, Barbara

> Biedrzycki, and from s Hopkins; Carole from St.

> Agnes Hospital; Garrett-Mayer from the Medical University of South

> Carolina; and Harding and Guang Haun Tu from Cell Genesys, Inc.

>

> Under a licensing agreement between BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. and the

> s Hopkins University, Dr. Levitsky is entitled to a share of milestone

> payments and a share of royalty received by the University on sales of GVAX.

> Dr. Levitsky previously served as a paid consultant to Cell Genesys, which

> has since been acquired by BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. The terms of this

> arrangement are being managed by the s Hopkins University in accordance

> with its conflict-of-interest policies.

>

> On the Web: www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I doubt Carl was mocking the press release.   We have all seen many that have

not turned out to be as good as they were promoted in the release.   One thing

I did not see mentioned is if the vaccine would be able to attack CML stem

cells - that I believe is a critical item.

From: phoenixpat <phoenixpat@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] s Hopkins Press Release - CML Vaccine

Date: Monday, January 11, 2010, 5:57 PM

 

Carl - I joined this group because I am newly diagnosed with CML and hope to

learn from others who have more experience with it. I posted this article in the

hopes of learning more about this, and because the same research is also

underway for other cancers. The last thing any of us need is to be discouraged.

I'm sure there were people who mocked the initial research that led to Gleevec

but those who believed in the potential for this type of treatment didn't give

up.

Pat Elliott

Healthcare Public Relations Professional

>

> I would get your hopes up that this vaccine represents any kind of cure.

>

> CML is very tricky and we have to be wary of hype from hospital PR

departments.

>