John Theurer Cancer Center Leading Enrollment for Global Phase 2 WIZARD Study Evaluating DSP-7888 in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma

HACKENSACK, N.J., Jan. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center announced today that it is leading enrollment worldwide for WIZARD 201G, a global Phase 2 study in glioblastoma (GBM). The trial, sponsored by Boston Biomedical, is evaluating DSP-7888, an investigational cancer vaccine, in combination with bevacizumab for recurrent disease.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor with a dismal 5-10% survival rate at 5 years from diagnosis. Recurrence following standard chemotherapy and radiation is near universal, and most patients succumb to their disease within 6 months to follow. Despite decades of research, therapeutic options at recurrence are limited.

DSP-7888, being developed by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Boston Biomedical, Inc., is hypothesized to induce Wilms' tumor gene 1 (WT1)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and helper T cells to attack WT1-expressing cancer cells found in various cancers. WT1 has been a focus of cancer vaccine research since the National Cancer Institute ranked it the number one priority target for cancer immunotherapy.

"The success of immunotherapy has been practice changing across the field of oncology, from lung cancer to Hodgkin's disease," said Samuel A. Goldlust, M.D., lead investigator and Medical Director of neuro-oncology at John Theurer Cancer Center. "It's long overdue to translate the same success to our patients with GBM."

In the multicenter, global Phase 2 WIZARD 201G study, patients receive either DSP-7888 in combination with bevacizumab or bevacizumab alone. The primary objectives of the study are to determine the safety and tolerability of DSP-7888 as well as overall survival. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 200 patients and is being conducted at sites in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

To learn more about this trial (NCT number: NCT03149003) and for a list of trial locations, contact the study research staff using the contacts provided on www.ClinicalTrials.gov. 

John Theurer Cancer Center has more than 350 ongoing clinical trials conducted independently and in partnership with research and pharmaceutical companies, research consortiums, patient advocacy groups, and the National Institutes of Health. Participating in a clinical trial allows patients to be among the first in the world to access potentially lifesaving therapies. 

For general information about clinical trials at John Theurer Cancer Center, visit www.jtcancercenter.org or call 551-996-5834. 

ABOUT JOHN THEURER CANCER CENTER AT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive center dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, management, research, screenings, and preventive care as well as survivorship of patients with all types of cancers. The 14 specialized divisions covering the complete spectrum of cancer care have developed a close-knit team of medical, research, nursing, and support staff with specialized expertise that translates into more advanced, focused care for all patients. Each year, more people in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area turn to John Theurer Cancer Center for cancer care than to any other facility in New Jersey. Housed within a 775-bed not-for-profit teaching, tertiary care, and research hospital, John Theurer Cancer Center provides state-of-the-art technological advances, compassionate care, research innovations, medical expertise, and a full range of aftercare services that distinguish John Theurer Cancer Center from other facilities. For additional information, please visit www.jtcancercenter.org.

About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county's first hospital, it is now part of one of the largest networks in the state comprised of 33,000 team members and more than 6,500 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center was listed as one of the top two hospitals in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report's 2018-19 Best Hospital rankings. It was also named one of the top five New York Metro Area hospitals. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker's Hospital Review recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America 2018. The medical center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 25 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women's and Children's Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women's Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center® and listed on the Green Guide's list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is Official Medical Services Provider to THE NORTHERN TRUST PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children's Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.

SOURCE John Theurer Cancer Center

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