Opexa Presents Tovaxin(TM) Research at Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies Annual Meeting
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- Category: Vaccines
- Published on Tuesday, 12 June 2007 04:00
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THE WOODLANDS, TX, USA | June 11, 2007 | Opexa Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPXA), a company involved in the development and commercialization of cell therapies, made a poster presentation at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) in San Diego June 7-11 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. The poster, entitled “Identifying New Immunodominant Myelin Peptides in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients” was presented on Sunday, June 10.
The presentation covered laboratory and clinical data from the Company’s proprietary T-cell vaccination technology for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Key highlights of research detailed in the poster presentation include:
* Data accumulated from over 173 assays (using a T-cell Epitope Analysis Assay (EAA)) have allowed Opexa to identify several myelin protein peptides from myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) as being immunodominant, including some peptides never before reported, and others as being non-reactive,
* The EAA can be utilized to screen additional or combinations of peptides that have biological significance and;
* These results have permitted Opexa to optimize the number of myelin peptides across the lengths of MBP, PLP and MOG in the screening assay for Tovaxin™ vaccine production to qualify subjects for Opexa’s current 150-patient Phase IIb safety and efficacy clinical trial (TERMS).
“These findings mark an important development for Tovaxin, which is a patient-specific autologous T-cell vaccine, because it helps us qualify subjects for our current clinical trial and improves production of the vaccine. The EAA is an important assay for further refinement of the T-cell vaccination technology, which is truly personalized, to make the therapy as efficacious as possible for each patient,” said Jim Williams, PhD, chief operating officer.
About T-cell Vaccination
For a T-cell vaccine to be effective, it should be able to induce T-cell cytotoxic and/or regulatory immune responses against the pathogenic T-cells. Studies of T-cell vaccine have indicated that T-cell vaccination with peripheral blood-derived autologous myelin-peptide selected T-cells in multiple sclerosis patients resulted in the in vivo induction of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and CD4+CD25+FoxP3 Tregs specific for T-cell vaccine. The induction of anti-idiotypic cytotoxic CD8+ effector T-cells and anti-ergotypic CD4+CD25+FoxP3 positive Tregs is believed to provide a therapeutically effective dual mechanism of protection to patients treated with Tovaxin™. The observed regulatory immune responses have been shown to collectively correlate with clinical improvement in treated patients.
About TERMS
The Tovaxin Phase IIb clinical study will include 150 patients in a multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial designed primarily to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the Tovaxin T Cell vaccination with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) patients. A total of 100 patients will receive Tovaxin, while 50 will receive placebo. The study is designed as a two-arm, 52-week, parallel-group study, whereby patients will be given five subcutaneous injections at 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks. The analyses will be performed at the end of the 52-week study to assess the safety and efficacy of Tovaxin. The primary efficacy variable is the cumulative number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions on T1-weighted MRI scans summed over the Week 28, 36, 44, and 52 MRIs. The secondary efficacy variables are the cumulative number of new gadolinium-enhancing lesions at Weeks 28-52, the change in T2-weighted lesion volume, and the annualized relapse rate.
All patients who complete the trial will be eligible to participate in an optional one-year extension study, in which they will receive Tovaxin under an open-label protocol. The open-label study is being planned under a different protocol that will be submitted to the FDA.
About Opexa Therapeutics
Opexa Therapeutics develops and commercializes cell therapies to treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. The Company is focused on autologous cellular therapy applications of its proprietary T-cell and stem cell therapies. The Company's lead product, Tovaxin(TM), a T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis is in Phase IIb trials. The Company holds the exclusive worldwide license for adult multipotent stem cells derived from mononuclear cells of peripheral blood. The technology allows large quantities of monocyte derived stem cells to be produced efficiently for use in autologous therapy, thus circumventing the threat of rejection. The Company is in preclinical development for diabetes mellitus. For more information, visit the Opexa Therapeutics website at www.opexatherapeutics.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements," including statements about Opexa Therapeutics' growth and future operating results, discovery and development of products, strategic alliances and intellectual property, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current assumptions and expectations and involve risks, uncertainties and other important factors, specifically including those relating to Opexa Therapeutics' ability to obtain additional funding, develop its stem cell technologies, achieve its operational objectives, and obtain patent protection for its discoveries, that may cause Opexa Therapeutics' actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Opexa Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: Opexa Therapeutics