Too Safe to Be Successful? Clinical Trials in Cancer Vaccines
Program Code: 5133-S-CT
Saturday, October 20, 2007
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, FCAP, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

SPEAKERS
Catherine M. Bollard, MB, ChB, Baylor College of Medicine
Marc Ernstoff, MD, Dartmouth
David Urdal, PhD, Dendreon Corporation

DESCRIPTION
This program will focus on advances in adoptive immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer. Several years ago this field was heralded as potentially the most promising area of cancer treatment. The results of small clinical trials showed an excellent safety profile with a limited clinical response in dendritic cell based vaccines and some spectacular clinical responses in a small proportion of patients with lymphocyte based vaccines. However, recent changes in the approach to cell based cancer vaccines and associated treatment rekindled excitement about the potential progress in this area. Some cellular therapy based products entered phase III clinical trials and are approaching FDA approval for use. The speakers in this session will address dendritic cell based vaccines, lymphocyte based vaccines and commercial development of cancer vaccines.