Nventa Announces Positive Interim Immunological Data From HspE7 Phase 1 Cervical Dyspl...( 3 out of 4 Patients in Cohort 2 Dem...),Health

3 out of 4 Patients in Cohort 2 Demonstrate T-Cell Responses Indicating

Potential HspE7 Therapeutic Benefit

SAN DIEGO, March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation (TSX: NVN) today announced interim immunological data from the first two cohorts of its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of its lead product candidate, HspE7, in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or CIN, a precursor to cervical cancer. Preliminary evaluation of biological samples collected from the study's first and second cohorts indicates that administration of HspE7 results in an E7-specific T-cell immune response. Independent research findings recently published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology by Jeffrey Weber, M.D., Ph.D., associate director for clinical research at the University of Southern California's Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, demonstrated that such an immune response may be associated with objective clinical responses in patients with CIN. Accordingly, Nventa believes that HspE7 may successfully treat CIN by activating and enhancing the body's natural immune system.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080303/LAM023LOGO)

As previously reported, doses administered in both study cohorts were found to be safe and well tolerated, with no serious adverse events being reported in either group. Cohort 1 was designed to establish a baseline for the study with patients in this group being administered 500 mcg of HspE7 and 50 mcg of Poly-ICLC, a potent toll-like receptor 3 (TLR-3) adjuvant. Consistent with previous preclinical studies conducted by Nventa, this dose level demonstrated anti-HspE7 antibody responses but limited T-cell responses. In cohort 2, patients were administered 500 mcg of HspE7 and 500 mcg of Poly-ICLC. In this group, 3 out of 4 patients showed anti-HspE7 antibody responses and HPV16 E7-speci
'/>"/>