PRINCETON, N.J., March 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advaxis, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADXS), a biotechnology company developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies, today announced that it has been issued a significant patent from the Japan Patent Office, entitled, "Compositions and Methods for Enhancing Immunogenicity of Antigens". The claims of the patent (patent number 5479918) cover the use of ADXS-HPV for the treatment of late-stage cervical cancer with a term that extends to 2028.
"Receiving this patent in Japan for our proprietary immunotherapy product candidate, ADXS-HPV, to be used in treating patients with late-stage cervical cancer is an important milestone," commented Daniel J. O'Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis. "This expands our patent portfolio which already has over 40 patents issued and over 40 patents pending worldwide. With licensing agreements established in Asia, with Global BioPharma, and India, with Biocon Ltd., Advaxis is positioned for global development and commercialization of our immunotherapies to treat cervical cancer. Expanding the protection of our intellectual property is a major component of this strategy."
About Advaxis, Inc.
Advaxis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies. Advaxis's immunotherapies are based on a novel platform technology using live, attenuated bacteria to stimulate the immune system to selectively target cancer cells while reducing tumor defenses.
ADXS-HPV, Advaxis's lead immunotherapy for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers, has demonstrated improved survival and objective tumor responses in a Phase 2 trial in 110 patients with recurrent cervical cancer. Advaxis is now planning the registrational program for ADXS-HPV. ADXS-HPV is also being evaluated in other HPV-associated cancers including a Phase 2 in advanced cervical cancer, a Phase 1/2 in head and neck cancer, and a Phase 1/2 in anal cancer. ADXS-HPV has orphan drug status for both anal and head and neck cancers. As part of its global commercialization strategy to enter into regional licensing deals with other market dominant biopharmaceutical companies in territories where there is a high prevalence of HPV-associated cancers, Advaxis has granted exclusive licenses for the development and commercialization of ADXS-HPV in Asia and India.
ADXS-cHER2 is an immunotherapy for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing cancers (such as breast, gastric, esophageal, and other cancers in humans and for osteosarcoma in canines). Advaxis' lead animal-health immunotherapy, ADXS-cHER2, has demonstrated encouraging survival data in a Phase 1 trial in canine osteosarcoma. These data provide the rationale to advance this same immunotherapy into a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with HER2-overexpressing cancers such as breast, gastric, esophageal, and others. The Company is preparing an IND submission for ADXS-cHER2 in the treatment of HER2 overexpressing cancers in 2014.
Advaxis has created more than 20 distinct immunotherapies based on its platform, either directly or through strategic collaborations with recognized cancer centers of excellence. We have clinical research collaborations with the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, the Georgia Regents University Cancer Center, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and others.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: statements regarding Advaxis's ability to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapies; the safety and efficacy of Advaxis's proprietary immunotherapy, ADXS-HPV; whether Advaxis immunotherapies can redirect the powerful immune response all human beings have to the bacterium to cancers. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, including the risk factors set forth from time to time in Advaxis's SEC filings, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013, which is available at http://www.sec.gov. Advaxis undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.