Pentrix goes to Phase II

Australian Cancer Technology (AustCancer)’s anti-cancer vaccine Pentrix is about to enter critical Phase II trials for its efficacy as a disease delay compound against cancer.

Pentrix is an antibody trigger compound which works on the mutated p53 gene, and has been developed by AustCancer as a broad-spectrum anti-cancer vaccine. Research has shown that mutated p53 occurs in up to 50 per cent of cancer patients regardless of cancer type, making it an ideal target for vaccines.

Pentrix works by triggering a host immune response against the mutated p53 tumour cells, and has been billed as being highly effective against a broad range of tumours -- unlike many specific type-based drugs previously investigated.

Melbourne based Centre for Develipmental Cancer Therapeutics (CDCT) is to trial the drug on 40 patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer. Patients will be selected from the Austin Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

CDCT CEO, associate professor Mark Rosenthal, said results from previous Pentrix trials had been encouraging, and that he looked forward to exploring the potential of the vaccine.

“CDCT is proud to be leading this initiative and will work with AustCancer to develop Pentrix as it moves into further clinical testing,” he said.

Previous Phase Ib and IIa trials on the drug saw an immune response in all 14 patients enrolled in the study conducted at Sydney’s St. Vincents Hospital.

“The results from these previous clinical trials on Pentrix are encouraging, and have attracted considerable interest in cancer research circles,” added Rosenthal.

The choice of prostate cancer patients for the latest trials was made as the subjects have a low tumour burden ideally suited to vaccine treatment, and additionally the prostate specific antigen test (PSA test) allowed a direct measure of the progression of the disease.

“We are very excited that Pentrix will now move to examining clinical efficacy, the stage at which value would be recognised,” said Dr Roger Aston, executive chairman at AustCancer. “Strong results from this trial would . . . . . open up major opportunity in the market, currently estimated at over US$2 billion,” he added.

The vaccine is being manufactured by Multiple Peptide Systems in San Diego, and the trials (including protocol design, regulatory consulting, trila management, data collection and analysis) will be overseen by Kendle International Inc.