Voices Against Brain Cancer Awards Grant to Tocagen to Support Investigation of Toca 511 & Toca FC in Patients with Recurrent Brain Cancer

NEW YORK, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Voices Against Brain Cancer (VABC), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for brain cancer, today announced that it has awarded Tocagen Inc. (www.tocagen.com) a grant to support the clinical investigation of Toca 511 & Toca FC in patients diagnosed with a recurrent high grade glioma brain cancer (Grade 3 or Grade 4).  Tocagen is a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for advanced cancer, with an initial focus on brain cancer.

"Every day, progress is made in the search for a cure for this devastating disease," said Mario Lichtenstein, Co-founder of Voices Against Brain Cancer.  "Toca 511 & Toca FC is a promising new approach in clinical trials that has the potential to help patients with brain cancer, and we are excited to provide support for this program."

Tocagen is presently enrolling patients in its investigational Phase I clinical trials at leading clinical trial sites across the United States. For more information about participating in this study, please submit an inquiry form to Tocagen.

"We are very appreciative to VABC for supporting our clinical trials in patients with recurrent brain cancer," said Harry Gruber, M.D., the CEO of Tocagen. "We are encouraged with our clinical data and plan to present updates at a future scientific conference."

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About Voices Against Brain Cancer
Voices Against Brain Cancer's mission is to help find a cure for brain cancer and brain tumors by advancing scientific research, increasing awareness within the medical community and supporting patients, their families and caregivers affected by this devastating disease.

Voices Against Brain Cancer has a wide variety of initiatives in place for brain cancer research, awareness and support. The organization is committed to ensuring that the proceeds of the monies donated are used to fund cutting-edge research that will have a monumental impact on the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. Currently, these grants are being funded at numerous esteemed institutions including: Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, John Hopkins, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York University, Yale and more.

For more information please visit: www.voicesagainstbraincancer.org

About Toca 511 & Toca FC
Tocagen Inc., the clinical trial sponsor, is developing the investigational drug Toca 511 (vocimagene amiretrorepvec) in combination with Toca FC (an investigational extended-release formulation of 5‑FC) for the treatment of recurrent high grade glioma, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM, Grade IV glioma), the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. Toca 511 is a retroviral replicating vector (RRV) encoding the genetic instructions for the enzyme cytosine deaminase (CD). Toca 511 is designed to selectively infect dividing cancer cells and spread through the tumor after administration. Each patient then begins a course of Toca FC. Within Toca 511-infected cells the CD enzyme converts 5‑FC to the anti-cancer drug 5‑FU. By producing 5‑FU locally, this technology has the potential to produce much higher concentrations of 5‑FU in the tumor than can be safely attained with systemic administration.

SOURCE Voices Against Brain Cancer