NCCS Advanced Colon Cancer Patients Can Look Forward To More Hope For A Cure
Thursday, 08 November 2007

Singapore, 08 November 2007 - Advanced colon cancer patients can look forward to a new therapy that has produced promising results during a clinical trial conducted by a team of cancer specialists and research scientists at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) in collaboration with a D anish biotech company.

Results of this research suggest that many of these patients can expect prolonged survival. This gives hope to many who would otherwise face very limited treatment options including resigning themselves to be left on life’s end journey.

For the NCCS research team, led by Principal Investigator Dr Toh Han Chong, this is another fine example of a “bench to bedside” breakthrough discovery, bringing therapies from the laboratory to the patients seamlessly.

Also involved in this study with NCCS is Mogens H Claesson, Professor of Immunology at the Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, who also acts as the senior scientific advisor for the Danish biotech company. Prof Claesson is the author and co-author of more than 175 scientific original papers published in peer reviewed international journals and 25 review papers or book chapters.

NCCS and the biotech company, DanDrit Biotech A/S, are now working out a plan to design and execute a larger randomised trial to be led by Singapore. This is required by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to qualify for its approval.

This second study by the NCCS research team is to further confirm the clinical benefits and the efficacy of this cancer vaccine. For the cancer patients, this will open opportunities for them to participate in the forthcoming trial sometime in 2008.

The first public disclosure of this finding was made at the 1 st Centennial Conference of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) held in Singapore from 4 to 7 November 2007. Dr Toh, who is also a Senior Consultant in the NCCS Department of Medical Oncology , was 1 of the 4 out of 200 late abstracts chosen for presentation before this distinguished congregation of cancer experts from around the world. The AACR is the oldest and largest scientific organisation in the world, which focuses on every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research.

For NCCS, which has always challenged its researchers and clinicians to make the centre more than a focal point for medical excellence in cancer diagnosis and treatment, this discovery will further boost its image in the international cancer research fraternity.

The trial, a 20-patient Phase II clinical study saw a good 35% response rate with cancer shrinkage or disease stabilisation observed in patients who had previously received chemotherapy. Under traditional chemotherapy treatment after failing an average of two previous treatment regimens, the response rate is usually only in the single digit.

The study also showed that immune cells of patients can be responsive against the vaccine target on the cancer cells. In addition, the NCCS team showed for the first time that DC (Dendritic Cells) vaccines can reduce the number of a type of white cells called regulatory T cells that may impede an anti-cancer immune response.

Dr Toh reveals, “This treatment is an extra lifeline for an incurable disease, that is, stage IV colon cancer. The aim of such a cancer vaccine treatment is to activate the patient’s own immune defense system to fight the cancer. In other words, stimulating his own white cells to recognise and combat specific target proteins present on the cancer cells. None of the patients experienced any significant side effects, which is very attractive for an anti-cancer treatment.”

Prof Mogens Claesson comments on this clinical trial, "The data presented by the NCCS team are in my view extraordinary by the fact that only very few patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer have had clinical responses in previous cancer vaccine trials, performed by other groups worldwide. In contrast, the data of the present clinical study may suggest that one-third of the advanced stage patients may benefit from this newly developed vaccine therapy."

One of the participants in the clinical trial, a Madam Phua, 64 years old, has been through surgery, radiotherapy as well as oral and intravenous chemotherapy in her battle with advanced colon cancer. Despite the hurdles she went through, she remains positive and willingly went on the clinical trial in March 2006.

Madam Phua explains why she went on the trial “This cancer vaccine offers me a chance to prolong my life, so why not give it a shot?” She received 10 injections over five months or one jab every fortnight, without any significant discomfort or side effects. Through her regular follow-ups at NCCS, the doctors observed the tumour shrinkages at two time points, in May 2006 and then again in March 2007. She remains well with no tumour progression more than one-and-a-half years after the completion of her vaccination.

NCCS Director, Prof Soo Khee Chee, who has been the driving force in the centre’s research programmes, says “For every 5,000 to 10,000 drugs screened, only about 250 compounds make it to the pre-clinical stage, and of the 5 drugs that make it to Phase I trial stage, only 1 will successfully make it to FDA approval. This meaningful Phase II study with significant headway shows Singapore’s potential in driving translational research and developing new therapies against major diseases like cancer.”

“Hence, NCCS have been advocating that money donated for cancer research can have a far greater impact and benefit for the community and save more lives. NCCS will push hard to make more translational discoveries to benefit everyone, rich or poor. This cancer vaccine development will further strengthen Singapore's biomedical industry.”

About NCCS
The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) is the premier cancer research and treatment facility in Singapore and in the region. It was established in 1997 and sees about 68 per cent of the public sector medical oncology cases and 74 per cent of radiation oncology cases. NCCS not only houses the largest talent pool of oncologists in Singapore and many clinician scientists who have clinched international and national awards but is also equipped with the largest number of equipment to provide the latest radiation oncology care in Singapore. For more information, please visit website www.nccs.com.sg.

About the Danish biotech company, Dandrit Biotech A/S
DanDrit Biotech A/S is a Danish biotech company with Singaporean and Danish co-owners, and focuses on research and development into harnessing the immune system for the treatment of cancer. For more information, please visit website www.dandrit.com

For further information, please contact:

Adeline Teo
Executive, Corporate Communications
National Cancer Centre Singapore
Tel. 62369429 / 81257251

Carol Ang
Executive, Corporate Communications
National Cancer Centre Singapore
Tel. 6236 9424 / 9845 5354