EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2005--ViRexx Medical Corp. (TSX:VIR) a company focused on immunotherapy treatments for certain cancers, chronic hepatitis B & C and embolotherapy treatments for tumors, today announced interim results from its Phase I clinical trail that is evaluating the Company's proprietary Occlusin(TM) 50 Injection embolotherapy to treat liver cancer as part of a transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedure. Treatment and monitoring of five of a targeted twelve liver cancer patients has been completed. The interim results demonstrated stable disease for each of the five patients. There have been no product related severe adverse events.
"Our early expectations for the Phase I trial have been confirmed by these positive interim results. Demonstrating not only safety but stable disease in this initial population is an important milestone for our Occlusin(TM) therapy platform," commented Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, Chief Executive Officer of ViRexx. "The development progress of the Occlusin(TM) 50 Injection further demonstrates our ability to advance a broad pipeline of therapies which also includes OvaRex(R) MAb, our late-stage Phase III product for the treatment of ovarian cancer."
Data from the Occlusin(TM) Injection liver cancer trial showed that four of the five patients demonstrated a decrease in tumor volume ranging from 8% to 27%.
The study is being conducted under the direction of Dr. Morris Sherman at the Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network. The trial is designed to examine the safety of the product when used as an embolizing agent as part of TACE procedure in combination with doxorubicin and lipiodol.
The Occlusin(TM) 50 Injection product targets malignant tumors, such as liver cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that there are approximately 18,000 new cases of primary liver cancer diagnosed each year in the U.S. The five year U.S. survival rate for patients with all stages of liver cancer is 6%.
