Biothera to Present Research Results at European Society for Medical Oncology World Gastrointestinal Congress
EAGAN, MN — April 19, 2011 — Biothera has been accepted to present data from its Phase II clinical trial in stage IV KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 13th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer June 22-25 in Barcelona, Spain.
The presentation abstract is entitled, “Imprime PGG Plus Cetuximab Therapy for Advanced KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancer.”
Biothera is conducting multiple clinical trials in various cancers to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of its developmental drug Imprime PGG®, which induces a neutrophil killing mechanism normally used against antibody-targeted pathogens, and directs this mechanism against antibody-targeted tumor cells.
Previous clinical research demonstrates the synergistic efficacy of Imprime PGG in combination with cetuximab in subjects with KRAS wild type colorectal cancer. Although tumor cells in subjects with KRAS mutant colorectal cancer express the receptor for cetuximab and bind the antibody, in these cells, cetuximab does not inhibit the signals that promote tumor cell proliferation due to constitutive signal transduction induced by the KRAS mutation. Since the role of cetuximab in Imprime PGG combination therapy is merely to “flag” the tumor cells for recognition by Imprime PGG-activated neutrophils, researchers hypothesized that this therapeutic combination would still be effective against mutant KRAS colorectal cancer.
In addition to both KRAS wild type and KRAS mutant colorectal cancer, Imprime PGG is in clinical trials with other antibody combinations for non small cell lung cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. For more information, visit Biothera clinical trials.
About Biothera, the Immune Health Company
Biothera is a U.S. biotechnology company dedicated to improving immune health. The company is developing pharmaceuticals that engage the innate immune system to fight cancer.
Contact:
David Walsh
VP Communications
Biothera, the Immune Health Company
651-256-4606 (direct)
dwalsh@biothera.com