In a significant development for pancreatic cancer treatment, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and VaxCell Biotherapeutics have received regulatory approval from South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare to conduct a clinical study evaluating NK cell-based therapy VCB-1102 in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.
Critical Need in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, ranking among the top three causes of cancer mortality. The disease presents unique challenges with its five-year survival rate below 10% and a ten-year observation survival rate at just 9.4%. Approximately 80% of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage when surgical intervention is no longer viable, highlighting the urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches.
Promising Clinical Data from Liver Cancer Studies
The selection of VCB-1102 for pancreatic cancer investigation follows its remarkable performance in recent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) phase 2a trials. Independent review board analysis revealed impressive efficacy:
- Complete response: 18.75% (3 patients)
- Partial response: 50% (8 patients)
- Overall objective response rate: 68.75%
- Disease control rate: 100%
- Median time to tumor progression: 16.82 months, doubling the duration observed with conventional treatments
Study Design and Treatment Strategy
The newly approved clinical study will enroll 22 patients, combining VCB-1102 with the standard-of-care chemotherapy regimen mFOLFIRINOX. This strategic combination aims to enhance treatment outcomes for advanced pancreatic cancer patients.
"Current chemotherapy has limited effect on patients with advanced pancreatic cancer," explains Professor Hwang Jun-eul, lead researcher from the Department of Hematology and Oncology. "This combination therapy has proven anticancer effects through animal experiments and previous studies and is expected to provide new treatment possibilities for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer."
Future Therapeutic Implications
VaxCell Bio's CEO, Professor Lee Je-jung, expressed optimism about the therapy's potential: "VCB-1102 has shown promise as an innovative cancer treatment in previous clinical trials. We will do our best to achieve meaningful results in the ongoing small-cell lung cancer clinical study and this pancreatic cancer clinical study to provide new hope for cancer patients."
The company plans to expand VCB-1102's therapeutic applications beyond liver cancer to include both small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, potentially offering new treatment options for patients with limited therapeutic alternatives.
