| ImmunAid Project Update: Encouraging pilot results presented at ASCO |
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Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX: GTG; NASDAQ: GENE) provides the following update regarding the activities of ImmunAid Pty. Ltd. ImmunAid is a private Australian cancer company in which GeneticTechnologies Limited holds a 69.2% direct equity interest. The ImmunAid approach to cancer therapy is based on the hypothesis that the immune system exhibits dynamic characteristics. At the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology (“ASCO”) conference held recently in Orlando, Florida, investigators at the Mayo Clinic Rochester reported on a pilot trial conducted by them entitled “Possible therapeutic reversal of immune suppression in patients with metastatic melanoma by timed delivery of temozolomide chemotherapy”. This pilot study was designed using ImmunAid’s concept for timed intervention with chemotherapy. Over a two week period, twelve patients were measured daily for C-Reactive Protein (“CRP”) levels. It was found that CRP levels oscillated with an average periodicity of 7.8 days. Dosing of temozolomide at 200mg/m2 for 5 days for every 28 days was initiated. Two patients who were treated before the peak in CRP levels remained progression-free for greater than two years, while all other patients (excluding one who dropped out early) were treated post-CRP peak levels and had disease progression. “These early results suggest that the ImmunAid approach to unlocking control of the effector part of the immune system from control by the “regulatory” branch, leading to a successful attack on tumour cells by co-opted immune system attack cells, may be a useful approach in treating cancer” said Dr. Paul MacLeman, Chief Executive Officer of GeneticTechnologies Limited. This approach is undergoing further assessment as an Investigated Initiated Study in a trial being undertakenat the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. The trial, covering patients suffering ovarian cancer, is being conducted by Professor Michael Quinn and is an open label study using 100mg of cyclophosphamide administered orally for 3 days each week of a 2 week cycle for at least 3 cycles. At low doses, cyclophosphamide has previously been shown to be an immune-potentiator, impacting quite directly on T regulator cells. Although other researchers have discerned that metronomic (periodic timing) administration of low dose cyclophosphamide represents a therapeutic improvement, they do not appear to have linked such an approach with the use of immune markers such as CRP to define the timing of optimal administration. Genetic Technologies continues to evaluate the early-stage technology being developed by ImmunAid and to further invest in intellectual property to protect this interesting and promising project. _________________________________________________________________________________ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Dr. Paul D.R. MacLeman Chief Executive Officer Genetic Technologies Limited Phone: +61 3 8412 7000 |
