Introduction to Multikine®
Multikine® is the first immunotherapeutic agent being developed as a first-line treatment for cancer. It is administered prior to any other cancer therapy because that is the period when the anti-tumor immune response can still be fully activated. Multikine is the next generation cancer immunotherapy because :
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It is an off-the-shelf product making large scale manufacturing possible; |
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It contains both active and passive immunity, which means that no outside antigens are needed; and |
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It is given prior to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, while the immune system is still intact. |
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Multikine® is a new type of immunotherapy. It is a defined mix of cytokines (small proteins released by cells that have a specific effect on the interactions between cells). The cytokine mixture includes interleukins, interferons, chemokines, and colony stimulating factors; all are molecules which stimulate the body’s healthy immune response. Multikine belongs to a new class of immunotherapy called combination immunotherapy (i.e., it has both active and passive immune activity).
Combination immunotherapy most closely resembles the workings of the natural immune system in the sense that it works on multiple fronts in the battle against cancer. More...
Multikine®’s uses, efficacy and clinical trial status
The first indication being pursued for Multikine® is first-line therapy for advanced primary head and neck cancer. This is a deadly cancer in which there is a clear unmet medical need. The recurrence rate is high and about one out of every two patients die within three years.
Current therapies (surgery followed by radiation, chemotherapy or radio-chemotherapy) fail to completely arrest the disease because they are unable to completely remove or kill all of the cancer cells.
The pivotal Phase III study, designed to lead to marketing approval, is scheduled to start globally in early 2011. More...
Multikine® Tumor Pictures
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Multikine® Phase III Clinical Trial Design
Multikine® has been approved for use in a global Phase III trial. It has received a go-ahead by the US FDA as well as the Canadian regulators, as well as other regulatory agencies in the EU and Taiwan. This trial is expected to be the largest head and neck cancer clinical study ever conducted. More...
Multikine® Mechanism of Action
Multikine® works in a comprehensive way to marshal an effective killing of the tumor More...
Multikine® Key Benefits
The FIRST, FIRST-LINE immunotherapy: Multikine® is the first immunotherapeutic agent being developed as a first-line treatment for cancer. It is administered prior to any other cancer therapy because that is the period when the anti-tumor immune response can still be fully activated. Once the patient has had surgery or has received radiation and/or chemotherapy, the immune system is severely weakened and is less able to mount an effective anti-tumor immune response. To date, other immunotherapies have been administered later in cancer therapy (i.e., after radiation, chemotherapy, surgery).
One of the reasons other immunotherapies have had limited success is because they are administered only after radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. The latest scientific leaders’ thinking is that immunotherapy must be used early in the disease process and a combination of therapies may be needed to overcome cancer. More...
Head and Neck Cancer
This section is dedicated to helping you understand head and neck cancer; the first type of cancer for which Multikine® will be indicated. The following is a selection of online information adapted from the website of the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov, accessed September 28, 2007), which provides accurate, up-to-date information about many types of cancer, information about clinical trials, resources for people dealing with cancer, and information for researchers and health professionals. More...
Cigarette Smoking and Cancer: Questions and Answers
Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking alone is directly responsible for approximately 30 percent of all cancer deaths annually in the United States (1). Cigarette smoking also causes chronic lung disease (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cataracts. Smoking during pregnancy can cause stillbirth, low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and other serious pregnancy complications (2). Quitting smoking greatly reduces a person’s risk of developing the diseases mentioned, and can limit adverse health effects on the developing child. More...
