TSX Venture: QPT
EDMONTON, July 9 /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 the formation of an international
clinical advisory panel (the "Panel").
This Panel of international experts with special expertise in
ovarian cancer has been charted to guide the Company through the
conduct and analysis of its clinical trials program with Oregovomab
as well as to provide strategic guidance on other programs.
"The formation of the Clinical Advisory Panel is indicative of
our progression as a cancer immunotherapy company and we look
forward to working with these Panel members to advance our clinical
programs", said Dr. Madi R.
Madiyalakan, Quest's Chief
Executive Officer. The Company plans to initiate three clinical
studies with Oregovomab, one in combination with front line
therapy, one in combination with gemcitabine in CA125 expressing
pancreatic cancer, and one in combination with the TLR3 agonist,
rintatolimod.
The Panel will be chaired by Christopher
Nicodemus, MD, FACP, a clinical expert in tumor immunology
and drug development, formerly of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, who is very familiar with
the Oregovomab clinical program. He currently is Chairman and Chief
Scientific Officer of Advanced Immune Therapeutics Inc, of
Charlestown, Massachusetts, a
private biotechnology company exploring the role of IgE as a cancer
therapeutic and also the potential of various adjuvant strategies
for immunotherapy.
Joining Dr. Nicodemus in the U.S. is Professor William McGuire, formerly of Johns Hopkins University and currently Medical
Director of the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Cancer Institute at
Franklin Square Hospital Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. McGuire is a leading
clinical oncologist with a special interest in ovarian cancer and
pioneer to improving outcomes in this disease. Dr. McGuire was
instrumental in developing the paclitaxel plus cisplatin
combination - the foundation for the standard treatment of advanced
ovarian cancer.
From Europe, the Panel will
include Professor Ignace Vergote,
head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and
Gynaecologic Oncology at the Catholic
University of Leuven. Dr. Vergote has a long personal
interest in the treatment of ovarian cancer and has served as the
Chairman of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of
Cancer (EORTC), and as president of the European Society of
Gynaecological Oncology and the International Gynecologic Cancer
Society. He is the author of more than 50 original full papers in
peer-reviewed journals, together with 45 book chapters, and has
edited several books on Gynaecological Oncology.
From Canada, Professor
Thomas Ehlen of the University of British Columbia and Vancouver
General Hospital will complete the Panel. Dr. Ehlen has been a
major North American clinical investigator with Oregovomab with
substantial direct clinical experience and multiple publications on
the antibody.
"All members of the Panel have a keen interest in innovative
improvements in the area of ovarian cancer and see a great
opportunity to advance the previous learning with Oregovomab in the
context of combination therapies to better access the potential of
the immune response to bring clinical benefit to ovarian cancer
patients," commented Dr. Nicodemus. "We are excited about the
potential of the approach for these three planned 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 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.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
SOURCE Quest PharmaTech Inc.
