Back to search

FORNY20-FORNY2020

Novel prostate cancer treatment based upon cryoimmunotherapy

Alternative title: Novel prostate cancer treatment based upon cryoimmunotherapy

Awarded: NOK 10.0 mill.

Immunotherapy has created increased enthusiasm for cancer research and cancer treatment. However, large challenges remain. One challenge is that patients who experience long-term response to treatment are still a minority, even for the cancer types where immunotherapy has been most successful. Additionally, immunotherapy has for the time being not shown considerable effect for the large patient groups with prostate, breast or colon cancer. At Haukeland University Hospital, a personalized immunotherapy vaccine against prostate cancer has been developed. The body?s own immune cells, which normally discovers foreign elements in the body, are stimulated to activate the additional immune system to attack the cancer cells. An interdisciplinary team of scientists and physicians in Bergen is now testing the vaccine against metastatic prostate cancer in a Phase I clinical study. A group of patients have been treated with the vaccine, and preliminary results are very promising. The patients have a clear decrease in metastasis, and their general condition has been substantially improved. This treatment can overcome part of the challenges in present immunotherapy against prostate cancer, and can in a longer perspective be adapted to other cancer types. The funds from FORNY2020 will be utilized to complete the clinical study, and to prepare the project for the investor phase. The objective of the project is to further develop the vaccine into an improved cancer treatment, with better effect of treatment, less side effects and increased cost efficiency compared to existing treatments.

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020