PRESS RELEASE: Study Demonstrates Multikine(R) Makes Tumor Cells Highly Suscepti [DCFZSBK]
VIENNA, Va., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CEL-SCI CORPORATION (Amex: CVM)
announced the publication of data from a Phase I/II clinical trial in fifty-four
(54) advanced primary head and neck cancer patients. The data demonstrates that
treatment with CEL-SCI's immunotherapy drug Multikine(R) rendered the
overwhelming majority of the cancer cells highly susceptible to radiation
therapy. This finding represents a major advance in the treatment of cancer
since, under current standard therapy, only about 10% of the cancer cells are
thought to be susceptible to radiation therapy at any one point in time.
The data are published in The Laryngoscope, December 2003, Vol. 113 issue 12.
The title of the article is "The Effect of Leukocyte Interleukin Injection
(Multikine) on the Peritumoral and Intratumoral Subpopulation of Mononuclear
Cells and on Tumor Epithelia: A Possible New Approach to Augmenting Sensitivity
to Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy in Oral Cancer -- A Multi Center Phase
I/II Clinical Trial." A copy of this article is available at
www.laryngoscope.com . The Laryngoscope, founded in 1896, is a leading medical
journal for head & neck cancer.
Dr. Eyal Talor, Senior Vice President of Research and Manufacturing at
CEL-SCI and the corresponding author of the study, said, "The findings of this
study may lead to a new approach for the treatment of many types of cancer. The
ability of Multikine to render a great majority of the cancer cells susceptible
to radiation when current radiation therapy can generally affect no more than
about 10% of cancer cells at any given treatment cycle, is a major breakthrough.
This discovery could increase by many-fold the "kill" rate of cancer cells with
radiation therapy, thus improving the effectiveness of cancer treatment."
Geert Kersten, CEO of CEL-SCI, added, "Treatment with Multikine results in an
anti-tumor immune response which reduces the number of cancer cells.
Subsequently, any remaining cancer cells are rendered much more susceptible to
radiation. All of this is achieved without toxicity. The study demonstrates
that Multikine may have the ability to transform how we treat cancer. To that
effect, it is our goal to launch a pivotal study with Multikine in advanced
primary head & neck cancer patients in combination with radiation therapy to
prove clinical benefit."