CEL-SCI Selects Ergomed as CRO as it Gears Up for Confirmatory FDA Registration Study of Multikine® in Head and Neck Cancer
As a clinical research organization (CRO) Ergomed has a strong track record with CEL-SCI in fast enrolment and high quality study delivery
CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE:CVM) today announced its renewed collaboration with Ergomed Clinical Research for its upcoming U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmatory Registration Study of Multikine® (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection) in head and neck cancer.
Ergomed will provide global comprehensive clinical operations support to ensure the timely and efficient execution of the trial, supporting CEL-SCI in bringing a new treatment option for patients with locally advanced primary head and neck cancer to the market.
This partnership marks a continuation of the successful cooperation between the two companies, building on their previous collaboration for the Phase 3 trial of Multikine, which was the largest study ever conducted in head and neck cancer.
In addition to the positive outcome from its recent meeting with the FDA regarding the path to approval for its first-line investigational cancer immunotherapy, CEL-SCI achieved other major milestones including receiving pediatric waivers from the UK's Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
This confirmatory study represents a crucial step toward potential marketing approval of Multikine. The study, set to enrol 212 newly diagnosed patients with locally advanced primary head and neck cancer, will focus on patients with no lymph node involvement and low PD-L1 tumour expression. Patients will be enrolled across multiple sites globally, underscoring the strength of Ergomed's global clinical trial management capabilities.
Geert Kersten, CEO of CEL-CI commented, "Ergomed is a trusted partner. Our past experience taught us that they are highly competent and motivated. Their enrolment was fast and the study was clean. The plan is for the study to commence in Q1 2025 in multiple countries."
Dr. Sy Pretorius, CEO of Ergomed Group, added, "We are excited to once again partner with CEL-SCI on this significant trial for Multikine. Our prior collaboration has set a strong foundation for this new phase, and we are committed to leveraging our global expertise in oncology clinical research to support this critical confirmatory study. Together, we aim to advance innovative therapies that can make a real impact on patients' lives."
Multikine has already demonstrated promising results in its prior studies, showing a significant improvement in survival rates. In the target population for the confirmatory study, patients treated with Multikine had a 5-year survival of 73% vs 45% survival in the control patients, with a hazard ratio of 0.35. The confirmatory study is designed to provide the final data required for regulatory approval, bringing Multikine one step closer to becoming a breakthrough treatment option for head and neck cancer patients worldwide.
About CEL-SCI Corporation
CEL-SCI believes that boosting a patient's immune system while it is still intact should provide the greatest possible impact on survival. Multikine is designed to help the immune system "target" the tumor at a time when the immune system is still relatively intact and thereby thought to be better able to mount an attack on the tumor.
Multikine (Leukocyte Interleukin, Injection), a true first-line cancer therapy, has been dosed in over 740 patients and received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA for neoadjuvant therapy in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the head and neck. Multikine significantly extended life in its target patient population demonstrating a 73% survival rate with Multikine vs. only 45% without Multikine at 5 years after treatment. Based on this very strong data, the FDA agreed to CEL-SCI's target patient selection criteria and gave the go-ahead to conduct a small, focused, confirmatory Registration Study which will enroll 212 patients. CEL-SCI will enroll newly diagnosed locally advanced primary head and neck cancer patients who present with no lymph node involvement (determined via PET scan) and with low PD-L1 tumor expression (determined via biopsy), representing over 100,000 patients (globally) annually.
The Company has operations in Vienna, Virginia, and near/in Baltimore, Maryland.
About Ergomed
Founded in 1997, Ergomed supports pharmaceutical companies with services spanning all phases of clinical trials, post-approval pharmacovigilance, and medical information. Recognized internationally in both rare disease and oncology drug development for its expertise, Ergomed offers a full range of quality clinical research and clinical trial management services along with an industry-leading suite of specialized pharmacovigilance solutions. By providing this full-service offering, Ergomed enables emerging and established life sciences companies to meet their regulatory obligations, maximize their drug development success and their product value. For more information: [email protected].
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 for the year ended September 30, 2023. 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. 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.
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