(Alliance News) - Scancell Holdings PLC on Wednesday said its phase 2 trial of its SCIB1 vaccine in metastatic melanoma patients has expanded, following regulatory approval.
Shares in the Nottingham, England-based cancer immunotherapies developer were up 7.7% to 14.16 pence each in London on Wednesday midday.
The trial was initially designed to assess whether the addition of SCIB1 treatment to pembrolizumab would result in an improvement in patient outcomes for patients with metastatic disease.
Scancell said that SCIB1 uses the body's immune system to "identify, attack, and destroy tumours". In the phase 1/2 clinical trial, 14 out of 16 resected patients survived for more than five years following vaccination with SCIB1, it added.
On Wednesday, Scancell said it was expanding its trial following the approval of a protocol amendment by the Medicines and HealthCare products Regulatory Agency.
The company said that the trial will now include a cohort of melanoma patients who will receive SCIB1 treatment plus doublet therapy. The "doublet" consists of two checkpoint inhibitors, ipilimumab and Opdivo.
Under the updated protocol Scancell will also test the SCIB1 vaccine delivered via needle free injection. The company said that needle-free injection could provide "enhanced patient acceptance".
Chief Executive Lindy Durrant said: "The approved amendments will expand the patient population eligible to receive SCIB1 and are therefore expected to increase recruitment rates, allowing the study to remain on track to deliver initial efficacy data in 2022.
"We believe that SCIB1 administration in combination with doublet therapy has the potential to offer greater efficacy than checkpoint inhibitors alone, without increasing toxicity," Durrant added.
By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com
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Scancell Holdings (SCLP)