Keep God Weird

An experimental treatment to
stimulate the immune system against appeared to cut
the hazard of decease in one-half for women with a factor mutant in a
small clinical trial conducted by the U.S. military.

The vaccine, made of a protein snippet, was designed to
mimic the HER2 protein that rises the hazard of tumour growing and
death, and railroad train the immune system to struggle it. A survey of women
with the type of breast malignant neoplastic disease fueled by extra HER2 proteins
found the decease charge per unit dropped by one-half after 30 calendar months for those on
the vaccine, though the determination may have got been owed to chance,
scientists said today at a malignant neoplastic disease research meeting.

About one-fourth of breast malignant neoplastic disease patients have got the gene
mutation that Pbs to extra HER2 proteins, research workers said. Those patients are eligible to take .'s Herceptin. In a subgroup of women with less degrees of HER2, who aren't
candidates for Herceptin, the vaccine also appeared to cut the
risk of death, though that also may have got been owed to chance,
researchers said. If proved in additional trials, the vaccine could
offer a new option to maintain malignant neoplastic disease from coming back.

''This is a possible manner to immunize patients to take down the
risk of recurrence,'' said Linda Benavides, a occupant in general
surgery at at Garrison Surface-To-Air Missile Houston in San
Antonio, in an interview. Benavides was the study's Pb author.

Apthera's NeuVax

Based on the results, the vaccine was licensed from the U.S.
military to ., a closely held biotechnology company in
Scottsdale, Arizona. The product, now called NeuVax, is being
prepared for the last phase of clinical trials, which mean to
enroll 700 to 1,000 patients, Benavides said. The survey programs to
concentrate on women who aren't eligible for Herceptin, she said.

About 182,000 women in the U.S. volition be diagnosed with
breast malignant neoplastic disease this year, according to the Atlanta-based .

The determinations were presented at the meeting in San Diego.

The consequences weren't completely consistent. Researchers found
that among patients with high amounts of HER2 proteins, the
relapse charge per unit after 30 calendar months was similar for those on the vaccine
and those who didn't acquire treatment. Even though their malignant neoplastic disease came
back, patients on the vaccine appeared to have got the 50 percent
lower decease rate, research workers said.

Lower HER2

The vaccine also appeared to be effectual among women with
lower amounts of HER2 protein in their tumors, who aren't
eligible for Herceptin, Benavides said. None of the women in that
group on the vaccine died, while 6.8 percentage of women died if
they didn't acquire the vaccine, Benavides said. The difference may
also have got been owed to statistical chance, she said.

It's possible the vaccine may work for women with lower
amounts of HER2, because their immune systems aren't fully
sensitized to observe the proteins already, Benavides said.

The survey was conducted among 163 female active-duty
soldiers, partners of soldiers and people with early stage
breast cancer, Benavides said. They had standard surgery to
remove their tumors, followed by chemotherapy and radiation to
keep it from coming back, she said.

Herceptin generated $1.29 billion in U.S. gross sales in 2007,
Genentech said. It's the company's third-biggest product behind
Avastin and Rituxan.

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