SurVaxM is a cancer immunotherapy vaccine (boosts the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells) designed to target and attack cancer cells with survivin (an antigen produced in cancer cells). Survivin expression in each patient is variable, with some patients having more survivin in their cancer cells than other patients.
A phase II clinical research study demonstrated combination therapy with the SurVaxM immunotherapy vaccine was more effective than standard therapy for nearly all patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and showed minimal side effects.
A phase II clinical research study demonstrated combination therapy with the SurVaxM immunotherapy vaccine was more effective than standard therapy for nearly all patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and showed minimal side effects.
The study included 63 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with a median age of 60 years that were followed for safety, six-month progression-free survival, 12-month overall survival, and immunologic response.
The majority of patients (96.8 percent) did not experience disease progression within six months of treatment, and 93.5 percent were alive one year after diagnosis, compared to an expected 65 percent survival rate based on historical comparisons.
Additional data on overall survival will be released at the 12-month mark of the study. A phase III study is planned for the future.
SurVaxM was developed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York by Robert Fenstermaker, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery, and Michael Ciesielski, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery.
