TSX Venture: QPT
EDMONTON, April 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Quest PharmaTech
Inc. (TSX-V: QPT) ("Quest" or the "Company"), a pharmaceutical
company developing and commercializing products for the treatment
of cancer, today announced that it has completed a critical review
of the development status for its recently acquired therapeutic
antibody platform, conducted in association with external
consultants and leading international experts in cancer
therapeutics and immunology. Advances in the understanding of
immune regulatory pathways and immune activation suggest that a
revised strategy for these agents has substantial therapeutic
benefit potential. More specifically, the Company believes that
combinatorial immunotherapy which necessarily takes advantage of
immune modulating effects of selected cytotoxic agents, normally
used as part of standard chemotherapy regimens, as well as the use
of specific immunoadjuvants will lead to important commercial
application of this immunology platform in the treatment of
cancer.
Quest's technology platform includes a series of antibodies that
target several different cancer markers and have potential for
development in multiple indications. Taking advantage of the
availability of clinical grade oregovomab (anti CA125 antibody),
Quest will conduct three carefully planned and executed
proof-of-concept clinical trials to establish these principles to
ultimately lead to the design of a definitive combinatorial product
registration.
An 80 patient multicentre Italian cooperative trial will
establish evidence for the clinical benefit associated with
enhanced specific T cell immunity achievable by combining
oregovomab with carboplatin and paclitaxel in the initial treatment
of advanced ovarian cancer. Concurrent to this effort, a 30 patient
Canadian clinical trial will evaluate the ability of a TLR-3
agonist to enhance the strength of the oregovomab immune response
generated in the 'maintenance' setting in advanced ovarian cancer
patients following front-line chemotherapy. The third clinical
trial to be conducted in the U.S. will use gemcitabine, another
cytotoxic agent, in a cohort of patients with CA125 associated
resectable pancreatic cancer in combination with oregovomab.
All the clinical efforts are supported by preclinical and
clinical data in the published works of Dr. Christopher Nicodemus, M.D., FACP, who will help
implement the strategy by chairing Quest's Clinical Advisory
Board.
"Successful completion of our clinical strategy will lead to a
product for one or all treatment phases of advanced ovarian cancer,
starting with front line treatment followed by watchful waiting and
finally retreatment or initial treatment of recurrent disease.
Hopefully, the label could be expanded to include any CA125
associated malignancy" said Dr. Madi R.
Madiyalakan, Chief Executive Officer of Quest. The global
ovarian cancer market is anticipated to reach $1.65 billion by 2016.
The additional antibodies in the platform (anti-MUC1, anti-PSA,
anti-CA19.9 and anti-TAG 72) will undergo continuing preclinical
development in anticipation of rapid clinical development once the
initial oregovomab studies establish the validity of the
combination therapy premise.
The oregovomab clinical development strategy also includes a 24
month program to define an optimal registration path for the
product or combination in CA125 associated malignancy and also to
implement a new manufacturing plan for the product. The Company is
in advanced discussion with several companies to help implement the
overall strategy; but is not in a position to announce details of
these discussions at this time.
About oregovomab
Quest PharmaTech is developing the high affinity monoclonal
antibody oregovomab (MAb B43.13) for the treatment of ovarian
cancer. Oregovomab targets the circulating tumour-associated
antigen CA125. This ovarian cancer marker is used in the diagnosis
and management of ovarian cancer. Oregovomab binds CA125 on the
surface of human epithelial ovarian cancer cells; and also on CA125
shed into the circulation. The antibodies induce broad cellular and
humoral immune responses against CA125 via complex formation.
Unlike free CA125, CA125-MAb B43.13 complexes can prime dendritic
cells, leading to downstream activation of T cells. A tumor
specific T cell induction that has been shown to be associated with
a survival advantage will form the foundation for future clinical
trials.
About Quest PharmaTech Inc.
Quest is a publicly traded, Alberta-based biotechnology company committed
to the development and commercialization of oncology product
candidates. It is developing a series of products for the treatment
of cancer based on its pipeline of SonoLight compounds and recently
acquired monoclonal antibodies which target certain tumor antigens
that are presented in a variety of cancers. Quest believes that by
combining these antibodies with other cancer therapies such as
chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy or radioimmuno therapy, it can
potentially further complement and enhance treatment outcomes
compared to antibody treatment alone.
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SOURCE Quest PharmaTech Inc.