Global Oncology Market Gains Ground, Driven by Innovative Cancer Treatment Therapies

NEW YORK, April 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

NetworkNewsWire Editorial Coverage 

Survival rates for several major cancers have steadily improved over the last couple of decades, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Still, an annual report estimates there will be nearly 1.7 million new cancer cases in 2017, and close to 700,000 deaths from the disease in the United States. While early detection and the reduction of certain risk factors play a role in increased survival rates, so does the application of innovative therapies. TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) (TPIV Profile), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG), Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLVS) are among the many biopharma companies leading the pursuit of effective therapies with the potential to help increase cancer survival rates.

Emerging treatment options in the field of oncology include immunotherapy, pills for blood-based conditions such as multiple myeloma, and drugs for skin, lung and other cancers. As reported^[1] by QuintilesIMS (formerly IMS Health), more than 70 new cancer treatments were developed in the past five years, demonstrating the global need for effective cancer treatments.

Clinical-stage immune-oncology company TapImmune, Inc. (NASDAQ: TPIV) is particularly focused on the potential of immunotherapy - which stimulates the body's immune response to prevent or treat diseases - for the treatment of women's cancers with high recurrence rates, namely ovarian and breast cancer. Because TapImmune's innovations center on immunotherapy, it is worth noting that ovarian and breast cancer are typically resistant to most immunotherapies. The company's approach to immune-oncology therapy, however, demonstrates unique potential to go against the grain.

TapImmune has two T-cell vaccine candidates (TPIV 200 and TPIV 110) designed to overcome shortcomings of earlier vaccines. The technology platform behind these candidates combines unique and proprietary sets of peptide antigens designed to stimulate both killer T-cell and helper T-cell immune responses against well-characterized molecular targets associated with disease prognosis.

The goal is to trigger a natural immune response against both the primary tumor as well as metastatic disease to help prevent cancer recurrence and as a second-line therapy for women who are resistant to first-line therapies. To achieve this goal, the vaccines are comprised of naturally processed antigens from human immune responses recognized by more than 85% of the population, as well as a mix of class I and class II antigens to achieve an anti-tumor immune response across a broader patient population.

TapImmune's lead vaccine candidate, TPIV 200, is being evaluated in three phase 2 clinical studies, and the company anticipates initiating a fourth study later this year. In the completed phase 1 study, TPIV 200 demonstrated positive results that were published in the Journal of Oncology and which led to significant collaborations for phase 2.

The company has also developed and owns a novel proprietary preclinical technology called Poly Start, which can improve the effectiveness of DNA-based immunotherapies by amplifying the target antigen's visibility, recognition of target cells, and the ability for a patient's immune system to find and eliminate cancer cells. PolyStart also provides TapImmune additional opportunities to explore applications against infectious disease.

Another leader in cancer immunotherapy drugs is Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), which has developed such a treatment for an aggressive type of skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. In addition, the FDA is considering using this drug to fight bladder cancer. Late-stage clinical trials are supporting additional applications too. Pfizer's drug could eventually have applications in head and neck, stomach, kidney, and lung cancers. In 2016, it began investigating three new immunotherapy drugs in collaboration with several leading health organizations, using its own proprietary immunotherapy agnostic monoclonal antibodies.

Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG) is the brainchild of Revlimid, a blood cancer pill that was approved by the FDA in 2005 for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Although the drug has been on the market for over a decade, it had a 20% jump in sales in 2016, generating $6.97 billion in revenue that year. Celgene is also developing new drug candidates for treating diseases other than cancer.

Opdivo, approved in 2014, was developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and has been used to treat various types of cancer. Able to stop tumor cells from shutting down the immune system, the drug has been studied alongside standard types of chemotherapy. It didn't outperform these types of care in studies, but it was the first chemo-free treatment for lung cancer and remains a second-line therapy. It's currently being explored for treating head and neck, bladder, kidney, and skin cancer as well as lymphoma. The company has also developed Sprycel, a leukemia drug, and Empliciti, a monoclonal antibody for patients with relapsing multiple myeloma.

Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ: CLVS) is the creator of Rubraca for advanced ovarian cancer in patients with certain BRCA gene mutations and who've been treated with at least two other chemotherapy drugs. The medication is prescribed as a pill. Preclinical and clinical trial drugs are being explored and include treatments for triple negative breast cancer, gastroesophageal cancer, and gynecologic cancers. Leading in development is rucaparib, a small molecule inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1, 2 and 3. Being used for ovarian cancer treatment, it's also in clinical development for certain prostate cancer patients.

According to a study by QuintilesIMS, the global market for cancer treatments reached $107 billion in 2015. Thanks to an unprecedented number of innovations by companies like TapImmune and others, the market is expected to continue to grow 7.5-10.5 percent each year to hit $150 billion by 2020, delivering new hope for the fight against cancer.

Editorial Sources:

1. QuintilesIMS: http://nnw.fm/S2VdY

For more information on TapImmune, visit: TapImmune, Inc. (TPIV) or http://www.Tapimmune.com

About NetworkNewsWire 

NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is an information service that provides to users (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) enhanced press release services, and (3) a full array of social communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, NNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. NNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today's market, NNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. NNW is where news, content and information converge.

NetworkNewsWire (NNW)

New York, NY

http://www.NetworkNewsWire.com

Please see full disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: NetworkNewsWire (NNW) is a source of content listed above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer or comparison to the profiled issuer. FN Media Group, LLC (FNM), is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated with NNW or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by NNW are solely those of NNW and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. Readers of this content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable NNW and FNM for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker-dealer/analyst/adviser, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release. NNW's compensation disclosure is incorporated herein and appears in full at http://NNW.fm/Disclaimer

NNW & FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and NNW & FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Media Contact:
E-mail: FN Media Group, LLC - [email protected]
+1-(954)345-0611

SOURCE NetworkNewsWire