PROSTVAC, a Therapeutic Vaccine for Treating Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer of males in the U.S., and is responsible for more deaths than any other cancer, except lung cancer. Cancer vaccines, which harness the body’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells, have emerged as a promising new approach to fighting prostate cancer. One approach to cancer vaccination involves identifying antigens from cancer cells and immunizing cancer patients against those antigens to stimulate the body’s immune cells to attack and kill the cancer cells. 

This technology describes PROSTVAC, a therapeutic vaccine developed by Dr. Jeffrey Schlom and his colleagues that induces a specific, targeted immune response that attacks prostate cancer cells. PROSTVAC was initially developed by the NCI through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and license partnership with another company. Once the CRADA ended, NCI then worked diligently to enable PROSTVAC development to continue. BN ImmunoTherapeutics (BNIT), a small U.S.-based vaccine pharmaceutical company, was selected as the commercial partner. 

The collaboration has led to the development of a therapeutic vaccine with the potential to revolutionize how researchers and physicians fight prostate cancer. Numerous clinical trials have shown that in addition to having a very good safety profile, PROSTVAC appears to be an effective option for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Data from a multi¬center, randomized Phase 2 study of 125 patients with metastatic prostate cancer showed that individuals treated with PROSTVAC increased overall survival by 8.5 months compared to the control group. This promising data will be used to improve all aspects of the technology, including safety, efficacy, and clinical trial design. 

A variety of clinical studies are ongoing and being planned to develop PROSTVAC to the point where it can benefit the general public suffering from prostate cancer. A Phase 3 study for FDA approval is scheduled to begin this year. 

Awardee

National Cancer Institute

• Dr. Jeffrey Schlom