Imugene up 21% on the back of favourable trial studies using the HER-Vaxx product

Imugene (ASX:IMU) shares are up over 21% in the first hour of trade as the company highlights improved patient lifespans when using the HER-Vaxx product. 

HER-Vaxx is an immunotherapy cancer treatment targeting cancers which cause an overproduction of the HER-2 protein. The protein ultimately allows cancer to spread faster in the body. 

By suppressing the production of that protein, Imugene has proven it can boost the lifespan of patients also receiving chemotherapy. 

HER-Vaxx is not a treatment on its own, but today’s results proving its efficacy as a secondary medicine boast obvious commercial implications. 

The cancers associated with heightened HER-2 are: breast cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer. 

An infographic on gastric cancer, which Imugene's latest trial specifically targeted (Bristol Myers Squibb)

41.5% survival benefit 

Imugene notes today the results from its HER-Vaxx study show patients receiving both chemo and HER-Vaxx lived for a median survival rate of 13.9 months. 

Patients only receiving chemo reflected a median survival rate of 8.3 months. 

The company also notes no trial participants showed no evidence of co-toxicity of HER-Vaxx when using chemotherapy. 

Many radiation-based cancer treatments expose recipients to a higher chance of developing future cancers down the line. 

Outlier survival rate of over two years 

Some participants who are among the  “longest HER-Vaxx treated patients” are still alive, Imugene notes, with one patient approaching three years. 

The exact number of patients who have lived for over two years at this time is undisclosed, but Imugene points out those individuals have produced the strongest HER-2 antibody levels. 

Working towards standardised 100µg dosage 

Currently, a committee attached to the trials has deemed 100µg (micrograms) to be a safe HER-Vaxx dosage with no serious adverse reactions observed. 

This dosage reflects an upgrade to previous suggestions from the committee. 

Participants in the trial all presented with gastric cancer, the trial was conducted across Eastern Europe and India. 

Imugene's three month charts clearly indicate fresh market interest from today's news