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October 14, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Cancer Vaccine Test Has Promising Result"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (10/14/02) P. C7

Results of a clinical trial involving New York-based biotechnology company Antigenics' experimental cancer vaccine, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, determined that the vaccine was able to virtually eliminate tumors in two of 28 patients with advanced melanoma.  Antigenics' vaccine, known as HSPPC-96, has a similar success rate as Interleukin-2, which is approved to treat advanced melanoma; however, HSPPC-96 shows little toxicity, unlike Interleukin-2. The Antigenics vaccine, which is in the final phase of clinical testing, is custom-made for each patient, using cells from their tumors and works by encouraging the patient's immune system to fight the cancerous cells.

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