The Advanced Therapies Center of the London Clinic has received approval from the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to initiate a phase II clinical trial to treat metastatic colorectal cancer.
The translational clinical trial is currently recruiting a total of 12 patients, who will be treated with a robotic radiosurgery system (Cyberknife , Accuray) in combination with an immune system stimulant from skin injections. The stimulant is Immodulon IMM-101, an immunotherapeutic agent containing heat-killed mycobacterium obuense. It consists of both an immunomodulator that directs the immune response to a cancer and an immunoadjuvant that enhances the immune response.
The CyberKnife system will be used to damage rather than destroy the targeted tumor, so that it will release dead tumor cells. The release of dead tumor cells triggers the immune response.
Dr. Andrew Gaya, a consultant clinical oncologist and lead trial investigator, and colleagues, are in the process of enrolling 12 patients who have advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. If they respond to this experimental treatment, the trial will be extended.
