Wednesday, August 03, 2022
PharmaJet®, a biotech company at the forefront of needle-free technology for drug and biologic administration, has announced that its partner, Scancell, will incorporate needle-free delivery in their Phase 2 clinical study for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. This innovative approach aims to enhance research efficiency, expedite commercialization, and improve public health outcomes.
Skin cancer, the most prevalent form of cancer, includes melanoma, which accounts for a significant majority of skin cancer-related deaths despite representing only 1% of cases. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 100,000 new cases of melanoma are projected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2022, with nearly 8% of those diagnosed expected to succumb to the disease.
Scancell utilizes an immunotherapy platform that harnesses the body's immune system to identify, attack, and eliminate tumors. In the Phase 1/2 clinical trial, 89% of patients who underwent resection survived for over five years after receiving the SCIB1 vaccine. The Phase 2 study aims to evaluate whether the addition of SCIB1 treatment, in conjunction with pembrolizumab or ipilimumab/nivolumab, improves patient outcomes for those with metastatic melanoma. The updated protocol includes the integration of needle-free injection using the PharmaJet Stratis® System, as Scancell believes that this method could enhance patient acceptance. Additionally, Scancell is employing one of PharmaJet's WHO-prequalified Needle-free Injection Systems to administer two SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine candidates currently under evaluation in South Africa.
Chris Cappello, President and CEO of PharmaJet, expressed satisfaction with the partnership, highlighting the utilization of needle-free delivery in Scancell's Phase 2 trial for advanced melanoma patients. Cappello also mentioned that their partners have published data demonstrating superior results to electroporation and improved immunogenicity when utilizing DNA vaccines.
