PharmaCyte Biotech Inc (PMCB)

[thenewmixer]

07 DEC 15
SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec. 07, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PharmaCyte Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB: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®, today issued an update on the preclinical studies that are designed to determine the effectiveness of the Cell-in-a-Box® plus ifosfamide therapy in delaying the accumulation of malignant ascites fluid in the abdomen of mice with abdominal tumors. Each of the preclinical studies in ascites are being conducted by Translational Drug Development (TD2) – the premier CRO in the United States specializing in oncology. TD2 is also the CRO conducting PharmaCyte’s upcoming clinical trial in advanced pancreatic cancer.
PharmaCyte’s initial series of preclinical studies were done with mice that had been inoculated with a human ovarian cancer. This tumor type grows aggressively and is prolific in producing malignant ascites fluid. The data obtained from these studies provided information that is being used as a foundation for future studies on other tumor types. In the earlier preclinical studies, the effects of varying the number of Cell-in-a-Box® capsules and the amount of ifosfamide on mouse survival and on the production of malignant ascites fluid were studied. The results from this initial series of studies are now being used in connection with new colon cancer studies that may prove to be effective in developing a treatment that delays the production of malignant ascites fluid in cancer patients.
In part because colon cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer of the digestive tract, a new preclinical study has just begun in mice that have been inoculated with the regularly used Colon 26 mouse model. This new study is based upon the results of previous work using this same model system that was performed by Dr. Matthias Löhr, the Chairman of PharmaCyte’s Scientific Advisory Board, and his colleagues at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. The results of the previous study were reported in the scientific publication Cancer Gene Therapy in 2006. This publication can be viewed at http://www.nature.com/cgt/journal/v13/n1/full/7700849a.html.
The results of the study performed by Dr. Löhr demonstrated that the intraperitoneal administration of a combination of the Cell-in-a-Box® capsules (then known as CapCell®) and ifosfamide was effective in treating the spread of colon cancer that was caused by malignant ascites fluid. It is believed that the new “Colon 26” study being conducted at TD2 will serve to verify the results of the previous work and provide additional information on how best to use the intraperitoneal administration of the combination of Cell-in-a-Box® capsules and ifosfamide to control the spread of colon cancer from malignant ascites fluid as well as the production of malignant ascites fluid.
The Chief Executive Officer of PharmaCyte, Kenneth L. Waggoner, commented, “Through the use of different animal model systems such as the ES-2 for ovarian cancer and the Colon 26 model for colon cancer, we believe that we will be able to better define the parameters by which the combination of the Cell-in-a-Box® capsules and ifosfamide is most effective in controlling the production of malignant ascites fluid brought on by abdominal cancers. If we are successful in our endeavors, PharmaCyte will have developed a treatment that will help combat the spread of abdominal tumors and reduce the suffering of cancer patients from the accumulation of ascites fluid within the abdominal cavity.”
Malignant ascites fluid is produced by abdominal cancers, such as colon, ovarian, stomach, intestine, pancreas and uterus. It is this fluid that is responsible, in large part, for the spread of cancer cells from the original tumor to other sites in the peritoneal cavity. The accumulation of ascites fluid is extremely problematic. In the case of pancreatic cancer, large volumes of malignant ascites fluid are usually produced. As a consequence, severe swelling of the abdomen occurs. Not only is this exceedingly painful for the patient, but unless the ascites fluid is removed on a periodic basis (painful for the patient and expensive to perform), the accumulation of ascites fluid can be life-threatening. There is no treatment on the market that will slow the production of malignant ascites fluid.