CEL-SCI Granted European Patent for Multikine ’s Mechanism of Action in Making Tumors ‘Visible ’ to the Immune System

2017-10-10 08:30 ET - VIENNA, Va. -- CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE American:CVM) announced today that the European Patent Office has issued a new patent to CEL-SCI for its lead investigational immunotherapy, Multikine* (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection), which is currently in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for head and neck cancer. Patent # EP 1 879 618 B1 is titled, “A Method for Modulating HLA Class II Tumor Cell Surface Expression With A Cytokine Mixture” addresses Multikine’s mechanism of action to make tumors more visible to the immune system.

 

“This is a key patent which along with the other Multikine issued patents addresses how Multikine enables the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor. One way tumor cells evade the immune system is by expressing human leukocyte antigens (HLA) on the tumor cell surface, thus appearing as ‘self’ to the immune cells and therefore the tumor cells are not attacked,” stated Eyal Talor, PhD, CEL-SCI’s Chief Scientific Officer.

 “It is important to note that the tumors of the Multikine-treated responders in our prior Phase 2 studies had no HLA Class II expressed on the cell surface following Multikine treatment as compared to controls**. This points to Multikine’s ability to modulate HLA expression on the tumor cell surface, thereby allowing the immune system to recognize and attack the tumor.”

 

Geert Kersten, CEO of CEL-SCI commented, “As we are now nearing the end of our Phase 3 study with Multikine in head and neck cancer, this recently issued European patent is very important. It further fortifies our IP estate, which includes a number of issued patents for Multikine in the US, Europe and other major world markets including Japan and China, where we hope to make Multikine available to patients, upon regulatory and marketing approval.”

 

** Timar et al, JCO 2005 (a Pathology Study)

 

About CEL-SCI Corporation

 

CEL-SCI's work is focused on finding the best way to activate the immune system to fight cancer and infectious diseases. Its lead investigational immunotherapy, Multikine* (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection), is currently being studied in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial as a potential neoadjuvant treatment for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The study was designed with the objective that, if the study endpoint, which is an improvement in overall survival of the subjects treated with the Multikine treatment regimen plus the current standard of care (SOC) as compared to subjects treated with the current SOC only, is satisfied, the study results will be used to support applications that the Company plans to submit to regulatory agencies in order to seek commercial marketing approvals for Multikine in major markets around the world. The Company’s LEAPS technology is being developed as a therapeutic vaccine for rheumatoid arthritis and is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. CEL-SCI has patents on Multikine from the US, Europe, China, and Japan.

 

The Company has operations in Vienna, Virginia, and in/near Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this press release, the words "intends," "believes," "anticipated," "plans" and "expects," and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, an inability to duplicate the clinical results demonstrated in clinical studies, timely development of any potential products that can be shown to be safe and effective, receiving necessary regulatory approvals, difficulties in manufacturing any of the Company's potential products, inability to raise the necessary capital and the risk factors set forth from time to time in CEL-SCI’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K and 10-K/A for the year ended September 30, 2016. The Company 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.

 

* Multikine (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection) is the trademark that CEL-SCI has registered for this investigational therapy, and this proprietary name is subject to FDA review in connection with the Company's future anticipated regulatory submission for approval. Multikine has not been licensed or approved for sale, barter or exchange by the FDA or any other regulatory agency. Similarly, its safety or efficacy has not been established for any use. Moreover, no definitive conclusions can be drawn from the early-phase, clinical-trials data involving the investigational therapy Multikine. Further research is required, and early-phase clinical trial results must be confirmed in the Phase 3 clinical trial of this investigational therapy that is in progress.

 

 

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Contacts:

 

CEL-SCI Corporation

Gavin de Windt, 703-506-9460