VBL Therapeutics reports promising data for anti-cancer gene therapy VB-111

VBL Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VBLT) on Tuesday unveiled data showing its anti-cancer gene therapy VB-111 (ofranergene obadenovec) boasts the potential to stimulate the immune system to fight ovarian tumors.

VB-111 is an anti-cancer gene therapy being developed by the Israeli biopharmaceutical company to treat a range of solid tumors, with a focus on ovarian cancer. It has two purposes: the disruption of a tumor’s vascular system and the triggering of an anti-tumor directed response from the immune system.

Delivering VB-111 resulted in immune cells invading ovarian tumors followed by tumor necrosis (cell death), VBL said.

“While we initially designed VB-111 as anti-tumor therapy targeting tumor blood supply, it is now evident that VB-111 can also drive immune cells into immunologically ‘cold’ tumors turning the tumors ‘hot,’ enabling the immune system to fight the tumor,” explained Dr. Dror Harats, CEO of VBL, in a statement. “These clinical findings provide encouraging evidence of the therapeutic potential of VB-111, as we continue to advance our clinical program in ovarian cancer and additional indications.”

READ: VBL Therapeutics shares pop on encouraging data for its cancer-fighting antibodies

In a recent Phase 2 trial, a therapeutic dose of VB-111 when taken together with chemotherapy (paclitaxel), prolonged survival (OS) in patients with recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer when compared to patients receiving a low dose of VB-111 and paclitaxel. Indeed, the median overall survival was 498 days for patients in the first group who received a therapeutic dose of VB-111 compared to 172 days for those getting a low-dose of VB-111.

The first data from VBL’s Phase 3 OVAL study for VB-111, which has a primary endpoint of improvement in overall survival, is set to be available before the end of 2019.

The biopharma’s study entitled “VB-111, an anti-cancer gene therapy induces immunotherapeutic effect in platinum resistant ovarian cancer” was showcased this week at the SGO 50^th Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The presentation was made by Dr. Ronnie Shapira-Frommer of the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv and Dr. Richard Penson from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Vascular Biogenics Ltd., operating as VBL Therapeutics, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for cancer.

VBL shares were up as much at 11% in the pre-market but slipped $0.02 to hit $1.69 after the open Tuesday.

–Conatact Ellen Kelleher at [email protected]

Story by ProactiveInvestors