Vaccine for Colorectal Cancer to Enter Trials in Early 2003

Immuno-Designed Molecules (IDM), a European biopharmaceutical company in the field of cellular immunotherapy, has acquired from Epimmune, a San Diego-based biotech company, the right to use one of its antigenic peptides in a drug aimed at fighting colorectal cancer.

The peptide will be combined with Dendritophages, IDM's proprietary dendritic cells, to develop a therapeutic vaccine for colorectal cancer that will soon enter phase I/II trials.

The trial is scheduled to begin in the United States in 2003. The combination of dendritic cells and a series of antigenic peptides should, in theory, enhance the effectiveness of the resulting cellular vaccine, a company spokesperson said.

Other Sources: Immuno-Designed Molecules