IMUC (.65) ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Announces Research Agreement with George Mason University for Detection of Certain Cancers
Thursday, June 19 2008 12:37 PM, EST
Business Wire "US Press Releases "
LOS ANGELES --(BUSINESS WIRE)--
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (OTCBB: IMUC) (IMUC), a biotechnology company, today announced that the company has signed a research agreement with George Mason University for the development of a blood test to detect small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer using IMUC's monoclonal antibody technology. The blood-based test would be designed to look for certain markers for the cancers potentially allowing for early detection of these cancers as well as assisting the selection of patients most likely to respond to the company's monoclonal antibody therapy, ICT-109.
"We are excited to be working with such a renowned scientist, Dr. Emanuel Petricoin, and his team at George Mason University , as his work in the development of personalized medicines and the application of proteomics in cancer detection is highly regarded, including his past work on cancer biomarker discovery for ovarian and prostate cancer early detection," stated Dr. Manish Singh, president and chief executive officer of ImmunoCellular Therapeutics. "We were pleased to present exciting pre-clinical data from our antibody program at last week's American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting demonstrating the ability to detect dramatic disparities between cancer types, potentially allowing for the development of discerning therapeutics for specific cancers, thereby enabling greater safety and efficacy."
"We look forward to working with ImmunoCellular Therapeutics and working toward the validation and verification of their candidate biomarkers, as we are intrigued by the preclinical data collected to date," stated Dr. Petricoin, professor of Life Sciences and co-director, Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine , George Mason University . "Small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer are two of many cancers where patients could benefit from early detection, so we will seek to develop a simple blood test using IMUC's antibody technology that might enable these cancers to be discovered early, which could ultimately dramatically improve a patient's prognosis. This work will greatly assist our University CAP-CLIA compliant proteomics laboratory module the necessary proficiency testing towards full accreditation of the laboratory."
IMUC, through its recent acquisition of monoclonal antibody-related technology from Molecular Discoveries LLC , has several novel monoclonal antibodies. ICT-109, the company's lead antibody, is a monoclonal antibody targeting small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. This candidate is currently in pre-clinical development, and the company plans to couple it with a diagnostic kit to prescreen patients for the specific antigens that bind to ICT-109.
About ImmunoCellular Therapeutics
IMUC is a Los Angeles -based development stage company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers. IMUC's lead product candidate--a dendritic cell-based vaccine for treating brain tumors--is currently being evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial. Additionally, the company is developing a therapeutic vaccine targeting cancer stem cells for multiple cancer indications and is also evaluating its newly acquired monoclonal antibody-related technology for diagnosing and treating multiple types of cancer. To learn more about IMUC, please visit www.imuc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation the need to confirm pre-clinical data characterizing distinct antigens between cancers; the risk that therapeutics based on markers detected by IMUC's technology will not prove to be safer or more efficacious than alternative therapies; the continuation of research agreements, including the antibody agreement with George Mason University ; the need for substantial additional capital to fund development of product candidates beyond their initial clinical or pre-clinical stages; and the risks associated with pre-clinical and clinical development of product candidates. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in IMUC's most recently filed SEC documents, such as its most recent annual report on Form 10-KSB, all quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and any current reports on Form 8-K, IMUC undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Source: ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.
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