Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

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Revisiting Dr. Thorpe’s presentation at the NYAS Anti-PS Symposium, I was struck by the discussion around innate immunity, but especially induced adaptive immunity.

Dr. Thorpe talked about an experiment where they engineered a spontaneous tumor model. In this model mice are engineered to constantly regenerate malignant prostatetic epithelium. Dr. Thorpe was able to treat those mice with a bavi-like anti-PS mAb which established a continuous state of immunity in the mice, allowing them to live a natural longevity.

He stated that when they eventually dissected the mice they found that there was a “war” going on where the immune cells were battling the constantly regenerating malignant prostatetic cells. Thorpe thought that could not have happened unless you had induced immunity, because you have lifelong constantly regenerating malignant cells being continuously suppressed by the immune system long after the initial anti-PS treatment.

He saw this as elevating this ongoing immunity to such an extent that they were providing a “cure” for the majority of the animals.

IMO, clinically establishing similar immunity to cancer in human patients through treatment with bavituximab would be a momentous milestone in the anti-PS developmental saga.

Steve King, who attended the symposium added, during the Q&A, that Peregrine, through its ISTs, had designed in some extended treatment regimens with bavi. They will be looking for evidence of a generation of T cells that can respond to tumor antigens.

http://www.nyas.org/MediaPlayer.aspx?mid=25e51622-c908-46ef-bba1-95ca6a814eed

IMO the Phil Thorpe presentation is well worth listening to, more than once.

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