Lovaxin C is a live attenuated Listeria cancer vaccine

Cancer vaccine

The term cancer vaccine refers to a vaccine that either prevents infections with cancer-causing viruses, treats existing cancer or prevents the development of cancer in certain high risk individuals...

 that is under investigation (2008) and has entered clinical trial

Clinical trial

Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...

s. It is under development at Advaxis

Advaxis

Advaxis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases. Their novel platform technology generates a comprehensive immune response by serving as its own adjuvant, directing antigen presentation, increasing tumor...

. Note: Lovaxin C has been renamed ADXS11-001

Background

The bacterial genus Listeria includes intracellular pathogenes able to induce a strong activation of the immune system

Immune system

An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...

. The vaccine is derived from bioengineered Listeria monocytogenes that have been attenuated and produce a tumor antigen

Tumor antigen

Tumor antigen is an antigenic substance produced in tumor cells, i.e., it triggers an immune response in the host. Tumor antigens are useful in identifying tumor cells and are potential candidates for use in cancer therapy.- Mechanism of tumor antigenesis:...

. Lovaxin C specifically contains HPV-16-E7 antigen specific for cervical carcinoma. Women with cervical cancer are thought to be able to mount a more effective immune response against this cancer after stimulation with the vaccine.

The concept has been tested in a mouse model where the vaccine led to regression of renal and colon cancer.

Phase I/II studies

In phase I/II trials 15 women with end-stage (IVb) cervical cancer were treated. Flu-like symptoms including fever

Fever

Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...

 and hypotension

Hypotension

In physiology and medicine, hypotension is abnormally low blood pressure, especially in the arteries of the systemic circulation. It is best understood as a physiologic state, rather than a disease. It is often associated with shock, though not necessarily indicative of it. Hypotension is the...

 were encountered. While this study was conducted to establish dose tolerance, six of the 15 treated patients were still alive 2 years later, although their life expectancy at the beginning of the trial was six months or less.

Studies are planned to test the efficacy

Efficacy

Efficacy is the capacity to produce an effect. It has different specific meanings in different fields. In medicine, it is the ability of an intervention or drug to reproduce a desired effect in expert hands and under ideal circumstances.- Healthcare :...

of Lovaxin C in patients with advanced cervical cancer.