Advaxis and Merck & Co collaborate on prostate cancer

26 August 2014

US cancer immunotherapies firm Advaxis (Nasdaq: ADXS) has entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), through its subsidiaries, to evaluate the combination of Advaxis' Lm-LLO cancer immunotherapy, ADXS-PSA, with Merck's investigational anti PD-1 antibody, pembrolizumab.

Advaxis shares rocketed more than 23% to $4.00 on the news yesterday. The planned clinical trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of ADXS-PSA as monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab in a Phase I/II study of patients with previously treated metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Both ADXS-PSA and pembrolizumab are investigational members of a new class of cancer treatments known as immunotherapies that are designed to enhance the body's own defenses in fighting cancer. Preclinical evidence suggests that Advaxis Lm-LLO immunotherapies in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor may lead to an enhanced anti-tumor immune response.

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