PharmaCyte Biotech Initiates Expanded Follow-up Study in the United States on the Accumulation of Malignant Ascites Fluid
SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb. 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. (PMCB), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing targeted treatments for cancer and diabetes using its signature live-cell encapsulation technology, Cell-in-a-Box(R), today announced the commencement of an expanded, follow-up study of the effectiveness of its pancreatic cancer treatment (a combination of low doses of the cancer prodrug ifosfamide and Cell-in-a-Box(R) capsules containing live cells capable of converting ifosfamide into its cancer-killing form) on the accumulation of malignant ascites fluid.
"We are looking forward to the results of this expanded preclinical study of the effectiveness of our pancreatic cancer treatment in reducing the rate of malignant ascites fluid accumulation in the abdomen. If successful, it could quickly lead to a clinical trial in patients with abdominal tumors who suffer from this very serious cancer-associated malady," commented Kenneth L. Waggoner, Chief Executive Officer of PharmaCyte Biotech.
In the initial study, mice given an aggressive human ovarian cancer (ES-2), which produces significant amounts of malignant ascites fluid, were divided into 4 groups. There were 10 mice in each group. The mice in Group 1 served as a control group. Group 2 was made up of mice treated with PharmaCyte Biotech's pancreatic cancer treatment. Group 3 was treated with cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug often used to treat ovarian cancer. Group 4 was treated with a combination of PharmaCyte Biotech's pancreatic cancer treatment and cisplatin.
The follow-up study will use the same ES-2 ovarian cancer model. In this study, the mice will be divided into 13 different treatment groups, with 10 mice in each group. The follow-up study is designed to better define the parameters that will be needed to design a future Phase 1 clinical trial in humans that suffer from malignant ascites fluid accumulation as a result of their abdominal cancers, such as pancreatic, liver, ovarian, uterine and colon. The study will be conducted by Translational Drug Development (TD2) in the U.S. which was designed by pancreatic cancer expert Dr. Daniel D. Von Hoff, Chief Development Officer of TD2.
The accumulation of ascites fluid is problematic for patients with an abdominal cancer because it is painful and can cause breathing and other serious problems. Once it gets to a certain stage, it must be removed on a regular basis. This procedure in itself is very uncomfortable for patients and costly. PharmaCyte Biotech expects that its pancreatic cancer treatment will ultimately prove to be effective in slowing the accumulation of malignant ascites fluid and thus reduce the number of withdrawals of the fluid that patients must endure over a given period of time.
