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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Therion and National Cancer Institute
Extend Collaborations
Cambridge, MA, February 14, 2000 - The
National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Therion
Biologics today announced that they have extended
for an additional five-year term two existing
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
(CRADAs) for advancing the development of
therapeutic cancer vaccines. To date, Therion's
collaborations with the NCI have yielded eight
vaccine candidates currently in Phase I and II
trials for the treatment of various cancers
including prostate, colorectal, breast and lung
cancers and melanoma. Jeffrey Schlom, Ph.D., Chief
of the NCI's Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and
Biology, and Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D., the
NCI's Chief of Surgery, are principal investigators
for the agreements.
"The extension of our two CRADAs with the NCI
reflects our success to date and the similar
progress we anticipate in the coming years," said
Dennis L. Panicali, Ph.D., President and Chief
Executive Officer of Therion. "Through our
collaboration, we have not only advanced multiple
products into the clinic, but we have also
established an effective system for generating new
therapeutic candidates. We are now able to apply
insight gained from our previous joint research to
further enhance and refine our product development
process and clinical protocols."
Under the first of the two agreements, Therion is
collaborating with the NCI in partnership with Dr.
Schlom to advance its PROSTVAC and rF-PSA vaccines
for prostate cancer, currently in Phase II trials.
Under this CRADA, the NCI is also sponsoring
clinical trials of TBC-CEA for the treatment of
colorectal cancer and rV-MUC-1 for breast
cancer.
The second CRADA focuses on vaccines incorporating
melanocyte differentiation antigens expressed in
malignant melanoma tumors. Therion recently
announced the initiation of a Phase II trial,
headed by Suzanne Topalian, M.D., of the NCI
Surgery Branch, for two tyrosinase-based vaccines
in patients with metastatic melanoma. Dr.
Rosenberg, who is a co-developer of these products,
serves as the principal investigator for this
CRADA.
The CRADA program combines the resources and
expertise of the NCI with industry scientists and
technologies focused on advancing new treatments
for disease. The program is designed to facilitate
the commercial application of NCI-generated
research and enable the rapid discovery and
development of novel therapies. The National Cancer
Institute heads the federal government's programs
for research on cancer.
Therion Biologics Corporation is engaged in the
development of therapeutic vaccines for cancer and
preventive vaccines for AIDS. Currently, Therion
has eight products in Phase I and Phase II clinical
development for the treatment of major cancers,
including prostate, colorectal and breast cancer
and melanoma. The Company also has a major
corporate alliance with Aventis Pasteur for the
development of therapeutic vaccines for colorectal
and lung cancers and melanoma. Therion is
headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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Contacts:
Dennis L. Panicali, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Therion Biologics Corporation
(617) 876-7779
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Heidi Sprang or
Sharon Karlsberg
Feinstein Kean Healthcare Inc
(617) 577-8110
http://www.fkhealth.com
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