EDMONTON, Alberta, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Biomira said Tuesday it launched a phase 3 trial of Stimuvax involving non-small cell lung cancer patients in the United States and abroad.
Merck KGaA, under a collaboration agreement, is conducting the trial of the cancer vaccine. Biomira will receive a milestone payment upon enrollment of the first patient.
Biomira said it anticipates more than 1,300 patients in 30 countries will enroll in the trial. The company is assessing the potential of Stimuvax to treat patients with unresectable, stage 3, non-small cell lung cancer.
In a previous phase 2b trial involving stage 3b and 4 non-small cell lung cancer patients, Stimuvax did not produce statistically significant results overall. However, the vaccine apparently increased median survival by 17.3 months in patients with stage 3b locoregional disease, a finding that helped form the basis for the phase 3 trial.
