On May 4, 2017 Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ:CLSN) reported updated additional clinical and translational research data from its Phase Ib dose escalating clinical trial (the OVATION Study) combining GEN-1, the Company’s IL-12 gene-mediated immunotherapy, with the standard of care for the treatment of newly-diagnosed patients with Stage III and IV ovarian cancer who will undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (Press release, Celsion, MAY 4, 2017, View Source [SID1234518825]). Of the five evaluable patients in the first two cohorts who have been on the study for over one year, only one patient’s cancer has progressed after 11.7 months. This compares quite favorably to the historical median progression free survival (PFS) of 12 months for newly-diagnosed patients with Stage III and IV ovarian cancer who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery. Of the remaining four patients in the first two cohorts, their average PFS is 15.1 months with the longest progression-free patient at 19.1 months. None of the patients in the third or fourth dosing cohorts have progressed to date.

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"This new data on progression-free survival adds to the impressive clinical findings seen across a number of meaningful measures used to assess ovarian cancer like a 75% objective tumor response rate and a greater than 50% R0 (margin-negative) surgical resection rate," said Dr. Nicholas Borys, M.D., Celsion’s chief medical officer. "The consistency and robust nature of the data across all four cohorts and the encouraging clinical responses underscore the potential of GEN-1 to serve as an effective, safe IL-12 immunotherapy in ovarian cancer."

The Company also reported preliminary translational research findings from the first four patient cohorts. The analysis of peritoneal fluid and blood samples collected immediately before and 24 hours after IP administration of multiple doses of GEN-1 (36, 47, 61, 72 mg/m2) and standard NACT (carboplatin every 21 days and Taxol weekly) shows clear evidence of IL-12 gene transfer by significant dose dependent increases in IL-12 levels and immune system activity and significant increases in IFN-gamma and decreases in VEGF levels. The treatment-related changes in immune activating cytokines and pro-tumor VEGF levels followed a dose-dependent trend and were predominantly in the peritoneal fluid compartment with little to no changes observed in the patients’ systemic blood stream.

The immuno-histochemical (IHC) analysis of tumor tissue collected before treatment (laparoscopy) and after completion of eight GEN-1 weekly treatments showed increased infiltration of CD3+, CD4+ CD8+ T-cells into tumor tissue of several patients. The most pronounced effects observed in the IHC analysis were decreases in the density of immunosuppressive T-cell signals (FoxP3, PD-1, PDL-1, IDO-1) in the tumor microenvironment. The ratio of CD8+ cells to immunosuppressive cells was increased in 60-80% of patients suggesting an overall shift in the immune environment to pro-immune stimulatory following treatment with GEN-1.

"These translational research findings demonstrate that GEN-1 in ovarian cancer patients is biologically active and creates an immuno-stimulatory cytokine milieu in the peritoneal cavity in a dose-dependent manner and promotes a pro-immune T-cell population dynamics in the tumor micro-environment," said Dr. Khursheed Anwer, Celsion’s executive vice president and chief science officer. "These distinct immunological changes in local disease environment appear to translate into clinical benefit and warrant the continued development of our GEN-1 IL-12 immunotherapy as a potential adjuvant, in both first and second-line ovarian cancer."