Dr. John Rothman, EVP of Science & Operations of Advaxis, Inc., (OTCBB: ADXS) the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company, moderated a panel discussion titled, “Live Cancer Vaccines.”
Topics addressed by the panel included:
– The novelty of live vaccines which offer immunologic therapeutic alternatives never available previously; with new mechanisms of action and unprecedented efficacy in certain indications.
– The safety of live vaccines is significantly greater than chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and is much better tolerated by patients.
– Not only do these agents possess immunologic efficacy, but they appear to work well with chemotherapy and radiation, thus offering additional alternatives not previously possible.
Live vaccines are a developing area of science that has the potential to change the way in which drugs are delivered to patients. Unlike conventional therapy where biologically active chemicals are administered, live vaccines infect the patient’s cells to be treated and make the active drugs from the inside of these cells, where they are used.
Some noteworthy publicly-traded healthcare companies and governmental institutions in attendance included: Pfizer Oncology (NYSE: PFE), Genentech Roche (OTCQX: RHHBY), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Tumor Immunology and Biology, Medical Oncology Branch of National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The 8th Annual Cancer Drugs Research and Development Conference was held on January 27-28, 2011 in San Diego, California, US.
Source: Advaxis, Inc.