FDA Lifts Advaxis Clinical Hold

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 16, 2015 -- Advaxis, Inc. (ADXS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold on all of the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for its three product candidates: axalimogene filolisbac (formerly ADXS-HPV), ADXS-PSA and ADXS-HER2. Advaxis will therefore resume all clinical trials with axalimogene filolisbac, ADXS-PSA and ADXS-HER2.

“We appreciate the FDA’s review of this matter. We are grateful that our clinical trials will now resume so that we may continue investigating new treatments for unmet medical needs. We thank both the patients and their physicians for their participation in our clinical trials,” said Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis.

In October of 2015, Advaxis received notification from the FDA that its IND applications for axalimogene filolisbac were put on clinical hold in response to the company’s submission of a safety report to the FDA. The clinical hold also included the INDs for ADXS-PSA and ADXS-HER2. Following discussions with the FDA and in accordance with their recommendations, the company agreed to implement certain risk mitigation measures, including revised study protocol inclusion / exclusion criteria, post-administration antibiotic treatment and patient surveillance and monitoring measures.

About Axalimogene Filolisbac

Axalimogene filolisbac (ADXS-HPV) is Advaxis’s lead Lm Technology™ immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: invasive cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, and anal cancer. In a completed randomized Phase 2 study in recurrent/refractory cervical cancer, axalimogene filolisbac showed apparent prolonged survival, objective tumor responses, and a manageable safety profile alone or in combination with chemotherapy, supporting further development of the company’s Lm Technology™.

About ADXS-PSA

ADXS-PSA is an Lm Technology™ immunotherapy under investigation for targeting the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) associated with prostate cancer. ADXS-PSA is in clinical development both as a monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

About ADXS-HER2

ADXS-HER2 is an Lm Technology™ immunotherapy product candidate being developed by Advaxis to target HER2 expressing cancers. ADXS-HER2 has received orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Advaxis is developing ADXS-HER2 for both human and animal health, and has seen encouraging data in canine osteosarcoma, which is considered a model for human osteosarcoma. Advaxis has licensed ADXS-HER2 and three other immunotherapy constructs to Aratana Therapeutics, Inc. for the development of pet therapeutics.

About Advaxis, Inc.

Located in Princeton, N.J., Advaxis, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multiple cancer immunotherapies based on its proprietary Lm Technology™. The Lm Technology™, using bioengineered live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) bacteria, is the only known cancer immunotherapy agent shown in preclinical studies to both generate cancer fighting T-cells directed against a cancer antigen and neutralize Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that protect the tumor microenvironment from immunologic attack and contribute to tumor growth. Advaxis's lead Lm Technology™ immunotherapy, axalimogene filolisbac, targets human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: Phase 2 in invasive cervical cancer, Phase 1/2 in head and neck cancer, and Phase 1/2 in anal cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted axalimogene filolisbac orphan drug designation for each of these three clinical settings. Advaxis has two additional immunotherapy products: ADXS-PSA in prostate cancer and ADXS-HER2 in HER2 expressing solid tumors, in human clinical development.

For additional information on Advaxis, visit www.advaxis.com and connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Google+.

Forward-Looking Statements

This media statement contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: statements regarding Advaxis’s ability to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapies; and the safety and efficacy of Advaxis’s proprietary immunotherapies. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, including the risk factors set forth from time to time in Advaxis’s SEC filings, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014, which is available at http://www.sec.gov. Advaxis undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS:

Company:
Advaxis, Inc.
Greg Mayes, Executive Vice President and COO
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
609.452.9813 ext. 102

Media Contact: 
JPA Health Communications 
Cory Tromblee
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
617-945-5183