Allovectin results
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Allovectin results

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Allovectin results

  • Post
    • August 12, 2013 at 6:22 pm
    mrf
    Keymaster

      Vical announced today that Allovectin failed to reach its primary or secondary endpoints in their melanoma studies, and that they are halting the melanoma program:

      http://www.vical.com/investors/news-releases/News-Release-Details/2013/Vical-Phase-3-Trial-of-AllovectinR-Fails-to-Meet-Efficacy-Endpoints/default.aspx

      Vical announced today that Allovectin failed to reach its primary or secondary endpoints in their melanoma studies, and that they are halting the melanoma program:

      http://www.vical.com/investors/news-releases/News-Release-Details/2013/Vical-Phase-3-Trial-of-AllovectinR-Fails-to-Meet-Efficacy-Endpoints/default.aspx

      Allovectin is an example of intralesional therapy, in which a compound is injected into a lesion on the skin.  The idea is to kill the local tumor and to stimulate the immune system to attack other tumors throughout the body.  More broadly this is part of a search for an ideal immunotherapy approach that creates an immune response that only attacks tumors.  Other immunotherapy approachs–Interferon, IL-2, ipi, PD-1–all affect the immune system more broadly, either by boosting the immune system or by removing some of the natural braking of the system.

      I know that hearing of another failed trial is always frustrating, but this news should be balanced by other studdies currently under way. T-Vex, for example, is showing some real promise in studies, and other companies are still exploring this kind of approach.

      Today's update is another reminder that cancer drug development is never a smooth, linear process.  For melanoma it has often felt like we were taking one steop forward and two steps back.  Now that is definitely not the case, and we may even be in the three steps forward, one step back phase.

      Tim–MRF

       

       

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        • August 13, 2013 at 1:47 am
        POW
        Participant

          Thanks for the update, Tim. Yes, it is disappointing. But that is the whole point of doing clinical trials– no matter how good something looks in the test tube, the cell lines, or even in animals, you never know how it's going to work in humans or what side effects it will have until it is tested in clinical trials. 

          As you say, the researchers really have made a lot of progress in the last few years and more good ideas are in the pipeline now. Things ARE getting better for melanoma patients!

          • August 13, 2013 at 1:47 am
          POW
          Participant

            Thanks for the update, Tim. Yes, it is disappointing. But that is the whole point of doing clinical trials– no matter how good something looks in the test tube, the cell lines, or even in animals, you never know how it's going to work in humans or what side effects it will have until it is tested in clinical trials. 

            As you say, the researchers really have made a lot of progress in the last few years and more good ideas are in the pipeline now. Things ARE getting better for melanoma patients!

            • August 13, 2013 at 1:47 am
            POW
            Participant

              Thanks for the update, Tim. Yes, it is disappointing. But that is the whole point of doing clinical trials– no matter how good something looks in the test tube, the cell lines, or even in animals, you never know how it's going to work in humans or what side effects it will have until it is tested in clinical trials. 

              As you say, the researchers really have made a lot of progress in the last few years and more good ideas are in the pipeline now. Things ARE getting better for melanoma patients!

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