Gene therapy shrinks melanoma tumors



(MCT)

NEW YORK - Doctors wiped out melanoma by reengineering patients' own cells, marking the first time gene therapy has worked successfully against a cancer and raising hopes that the treatment can eradicate other forms of the disease.

Government scientists took healthy immune cells from patients with advanced forms of the skin cancer and taught the cells to recognize and destroy the cancer cells. Doctors then fed patients the tailor-made fighter cells intravenously, and their tumors gradually shrank.

Just two of the 17 patients in the study are still disease-free a year and a half after the treatment. But doctors said the research proved that the technique could help patients battling many forms of cancer.

"We can now convert normal lymphocytes into cells that can recognize very common cancers like breast, lung, ovary, prostate and so on. We haven't treated those patients yet, but this represents proof that this kind of approach can work," said study author Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute.

The other 15 patients in the study, published in Friday's issue of the journal Science, grew low levels of the reengineered immune cells for at least two months. Since the trial began in December 2004, scientists have developed more advanced gene therapy techniques that could improve the results, Rosenberg said.

"It is totally intriguing," said Dr. Anna Pavlick, director of the NYU Cancer Institute's melanoma program.

But it's too soon to call the therapy a cure, she said.

"They didn't look at survival and they wouldn't be able to in this small group of patients. That's why it's a little bit premature to know how effective this is going to be, but nonetheless it is a treatment that needs to be studied in a larger number of patients," said Dr. Howard Kaufman, director of the tumor immunotherapy program at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia.

Melanoma is one of the deadliest and fastest-growing cancers in the United States. An estimated 62,190 people will develop the disease this year, and 7,910 will die of it, according to the American Cancer Society.

---

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/nation/15414535.htm

starfrog.. I tink your wrong... read the article and read what ERX do mate

potatohead - I just refer to your opening title - rather emotive don't you think. The term cancer embraces a whole range of ailments, so to claim that a company has found a cure for cancer is a long way of the mark. They may have found a treatment for one form of cancer and until it is fully evaluated, it is not a cure.

p.s. Like the Irish bit in your post. ;-)

StarFrog
potatohead is Luckypicker from the other side where he is ramping like mad, there is no need to ramp this share when the news comes out between now and the end of the year the sp will respond. The way to play this is to top up when low that is what I have been doing.

news imminent!!!

potatohead
How do you know.

EIRX THERAPEUTICS PLC

("EIRX" or "the Company")



PROGRESS UPDATE ON DRUG DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES





Cork, Ireland, 20th March, 2006 - EiRx Therapeutics plc (AIM: ERX), the drug
discovery company developing targeted therapies for cancer, is pleased to
provide an update on its key drug development programmes. The progress detailed
below is expected to have a major impact on the Company's prospects of achieving
revenue generating alliances with pharmaceutical partners. This update follows
the announcement made 9th March by EiRx and Almac Diagnostics in which both
companies signaled that they had signed a Euro400K colorectal cancer agreement.





Synthesis of drug candidate from first generation EnPAD(TM) programme

EiRx has entered into an agreement with PR Eurochem Ltd, a synthetic chemistry
company based at Ballyvolane Business Park, Cork, Ireland, for the manufacture
of a lead compound from its first generation EnPAD(TM) programme. In August
2005 EiRx announced the discovery of a novel class of compounds targeting APC-
beta-catenin signalling, an important survival pathway in certain cancers. These
compounds, for which EiRx has applied for patent protection, show selective
activity against colorectal and breast cancer cell lines. Further to an initial
programme of efficacy evaluation and basic preclinical studies, EiRx has
selected the most promising compound from this series for further development.
The agreement with PR Eurochem will provide sufficient material for EiRx to
conduct extensive proof of principle and safety studies on its selected anti-
cancer drug candidate.



Second generation EnPAD(TM) screening model completed

EiRx researchers have successfully completed development work on the second
generation of the Company's EnPAD(TM) cell screening technology. By mutating
components of P13/AKT signalling pathway, EiRx has developed a novel EnPAD(TM)
cell line that mimics key biological features common to more than 60% of all
human cancers. Like cells within a tumour, the EnPAD(TM) cells are resistant to
apoptosis, a natural mechanism normally responsible for the removal of damaged
cells. The new EnPAD(TM) model therefore serves as a tool for screening
compound libraries in order to identify drug candidates that selectively target
P13/AKT signalling to disrupt the tumour cell's survival mechanism and trigger
apoptosis. EiRx has previously demonstrated the power of its EnPAD(TM)
technology by identifying novel drug candidates that selectively target the
APC-beta-catenin signalling mechanism and specifically induce apoptosis in
colorectal and breast cancer cell lines.



Dr Finbarr Murphy, Managing Director of EiRx's Cork research facility, said: "We
have completed an extensive review of drug libraries available from commercial
suppliers, and will now proceed to screen compound collections using our new
PI3/AKT EnPAD(TM) model. Given the success of our first generation programme
targeting the APC-beta-catenin signalling mechanism, I anticipate our continuing
efforts will lead to the enlargement of our pipeline of potential new cancer
therapies."



Grant of patent on core ALIBI(TM) technology platform

In November 2005 EiRx received written notification that the European Patent
Office (EPO) has completed examination of the Company's European patent
application number 01947681.1, and intends to proceed to grant. The formal
process of application has now been completed by the filing of German and French
translations, and the Company expects the grant of its patent will come into
effect within 3 to 6 months. This patent covers aspects of EiRx's ALIBI(TM)
technology for drug target discovery, and the EPO's decision to grant ensures
that EiRx retains exclusive ownership of this vital component of its technology
platform in key European markets.



Commenting on recent developments, Dr Colin Telfer, Chief Operating Officer,
said: "EiRx's technology platform is now well established, but our future
competitiveness will come from our exploitation of that platform to create new
and better medicines for cancer patients. Over the last few months we have
refined our business model to concentrate on product development, and our team
has worked hard to ensure that our drug discovery programmes make rapid
progress. Conducting in vivo efficacy studies on our most promising candidates
will be a critical validation of EiRx's science and technology platform, and I
expect this to have a major impact on our prospects of striking revenue
generating alliances with Pharmaceutical partners. Our recent achievements mean
EiRx is now ready to undertake these vital, validating studies, and to have
reached this point is a testament to the dedication and innovative spirit of our
staff."



For further information, please contact:


EiRx Therapeutics plc
John Pool, Chairman 01260 226529
Buchanan Communications
Tim Anderson / Mary-Jane Johnson 020 7466 5000





Notes for Editors:



About EiRx
EiRx Therapeutics (AIM: ERX) is a research-driven healthcare company developing
new targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer. The company, which is
headquartered in Cork, Ireland, conducts drug discovery from its laboratories in
Cork and in Aberdeen, Scotland, and has an initial focus on colorectal tumours,
currently the number two cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

Since its foundation in 1999 EiRx has developed into a leader in the study of
functional pathways critical to cancer cell survival and growth, with a research
base encompassing apoptosis biology, translational medicine and the metabolic
basis of drug resistance in tumours. Using its state-of-the-art, proprietary
ALIBI(TM) platform, EiRx has gained new insights into the mechanisms underlying
a cell's decision to survive or die, and has implicated a range of novel genes
in pivotal control mechanisms such as the PI3K/AKT and GSK/Wnt survival
pathways. In combining functional validation technologies with unique clinical
resources such as the ACCRI-BANK tissue collection, EiRx is linking the
molecular activity of these targets with clinical consequences in patient
populations. By streaming validated targets into an innovative compound
screening approach EiRx is creating a product development engine specialising in
cancer target discovery, validation and targeted therapy.

Notable milestones in 2005/6 include:

o acquisition of oncology company Auvation Ltd

o collaborative research agreement with Merck & Co. Inc. to evaluate
EiRx's siRNA delivery technology

o award of a Marie Curie Programme grant from the European Commission, to
support development of the company's screening, chemistry and efficacy
testing capabilities

o development of the EnPAD(TM) drug screening technology to enable
identification of compounds that specifically target cell survival
pathways

o filing of patent applications on first series of potential anti-cancer
compounds identified using EnPAD(TM), which target the beta-catenin
signalling pathway to selectively kill colorectal and breast cancer
cells in vitro

o filing of patent application describing a second series of potential
anti-cancer compounds identified using EnPAD(TM)





EiRx's core technologies for drug discovery



ALIBI(TM) platform

To identify effective drug targets it is vital to differentiate between genes
that are causal and those that are consequential to the biological process under
study. EiRx's ALIBI(TM) drug target discovery platform exploits physiological,
disease and process-relevant cellular models to achieve this goal. Practical
application of the ALIBI(TM) platform has been validated in a detailed analysis
of the apoptotic mechanism, and works as follows. An appropriate cellular
disease model is selected and a series of assays designed to focus and steer
signalling pathway analysis. The apoptotic mechanism and its counteracting
survival pathways are subjected to extensive molecular characterisation (genomic
and biochemical) to determine kinetics, functional dependency and the ability of
inhibitors and siRNA reagents to modulate the targeted cellular processes.
Output data is analysed using a suite of bioinformatics tools, resulting in
identification of candidate drug targets whose expression is highly correlated
with the apoptosis and survival process across the entire assay panel.


EnPAD(TM) (Engineered Pathway Dependence) platform

EnPAD(TM) is EiRx's unique approach to the discovery of new drugs targeting
molecular pathways known to promote tumour growth and survival, and is a logical
extension from our ALIBI(TM) process for pathway analysis and target discovery.
In an EnPAD(TM) programme, cancer cells are engineered to become heavily
dependent on the pathway of interest, often by over-expression of key genes
identified using the ALIBI(TM) platform. Highly focused and drug-like compound
libraries are next screened against the engineered and parental cell lines.
Compounds displaying differential activity are further screened against a bank
of cancer cells known to have anomalies in the pathway under investigation, as
well as against cells without such pathway anomalies. Molecules with predefined
activity profiles can be rapidly identified and, due to the drug-like properties
of all compounds in the screening libraries, can be rapidly progressed through
efficacy testing and lead optimisation.



About apoptosis and EiRx's anti-apoptotic drug programme

Apoptosis, or "programmed cell death", is a natural process by which damaged or
superfluous cells are removed from healthy tissues. Cancer cells, which
accumulate damage to their DNA, must activate survival mechanisms in order to
evade destruction by this process. Using the ALIBI(TM) platform, EiRx has
identified dozens of cellular components not previously known to play a role in
apoptosis. The company has confirmed the functional involvement of around 100
genes and proteins in tumour cell survival, and through both in-house and
collaborative efforts is developing drugs that target these mechanisms to
control apoptosis and trigger tumour cell death.



About colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both sexes, accounting for
between 10 and 15 percent of all cancer diagnoses. Although highly responsive
to treatment when detected at an early stage, the prevalence of late-stage
diagnoses means it is second only to lung cancer in the number of cancer deaths
it causes. According to the World Health Organization, almost 950,000 people
worldwide were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2000 and about half that
number died.





For more information visit www.eirx.com




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Gene therapy frees men of cancer

Mr Origer is now clear of his cancer
Two men have been cleared of deadly skin cancer using genetically modified versions of their own immune cells.
For Mark Origer, 53, the treatment destroyed his tumour, enabling him to attend his daughter's wedding.

The US National Cancer Institute team in Bethesda has also shown it can manipulate immune cells to attack breast, liver and lung cancers.

The modified T cells persisted in 15 other patients treated, but their malignant melanomas remained.

We've identified T cell receptors that will now recognise common cancers

Lead researcher Dr Stephen Rosenberg


Q&A: Cancer gene therapy
Before the experiment, the patients were expected to only live for three to six months because their disease was so advanced.

Tests showed the genetically modified T cells used in the new treatment became specialised tumour fighters, the journal Science reports.

Although only two of the 17 people with advanced melanoma who received the treatment were completely free of cancer 18 months later, experts say the results are extremely exciting and proof that this new therapy can work.

How it works

Dr Stephen Rosenberg and his team isolated T cells from the cancer patients and multiplied them in the lab.

FIGHTING CANCER WITH GENES

1 Blood taken from patient
2 T cells infected with virus to carry key genes into them
3 DNA from genes helps cells develop receptors
4 Modified cells injected back into patient
5 Receptors target cancerous cells to be killed

Next they used a virus to carry receptor genes into the T cells. These receptors are what enable the modified T cell to recognise specific cancers - in this case malignant melanoma.

When the modified T cells were transfused into the patients they began to attack the tumour cells.

For at least two months after the treatment, the modified cells made up at least 10% of the patients' circulating T cells.

The scientists are now looking at ways to enable greater numbers of the modified T cells to survive.

Dr Rosenberg said: "We've identified T cell receptors that will now recognise common cancers."

Disease free

For Mark Origer, 53, the treatment completely eliminated his skin cancer and another tumour on his liver shrunk enough that it could be removed surgically.

These are preliminary but promising results

Professor John Toy of Cancer Research UK

The treatment meant he was well enough to attend his daughter's wedding last year. Last week, doctors pronounced him completely clear of cancer cells.

Another man, aged 39, was able to clear the cancer that had spread to his liver, lymph nodes and lung.

Dr Michael Sadelain, director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre's somatic cell engineering laboratory, said: "This certainly is a significant technical advance."

But he said the technique would need improving so more patients could benefit.

The success of this approach in two patients shows promise, however 15 patients did not respond to the treatment

Dr Edel O'Toole, British Skin Foundation spokesman

Professor Savio Woo, from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said the treatment should now be tested in more patients.

Professor Robert Hawkins, professor in medical oncology at the University of Manchester, UK, said the results were very exciting.

"It seems to be effective, but it does seem to need improvement," he added.

Dr Edel O'Toole, consultant dermatologist at the Centre for Cutaneous Research, Barts, and British Skin Foundation spokesman, said: "I think that the success of this approach in two patients shows promise, however 15 patients did not respond to the treatment suggesting that further work is needed to optimise this approach for all patients, which could take many years."

Professor John Toy, medical director at Cancer Research UK, said: "These are preliminary but promising results.

"It's important to realise that we are not looking at a 'miracle cure' for all cancers."

Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer with 8,000 new cases per year in the UK and approximately 1,800 deaths.

RNS Number:8488F
EiRx Therapeutics PLC
01 December 2004

For immediate release 1 December 2004


EIRX THERAPEUTICS PLC and SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC
("EiRx" and "Sareum")

EiRx and Sareum Announce Drug Discovery Collaboration

EiRx Therapeutics plc (AIM: ERX), the healthcare company specialising in the
control of programmed life and death of cells (apoptosis), and Sareum Holdings
plc (AIM: SAR), the structure-based drug discovery and services business, are
pleased to announce they have entered into a collaboration to discover and
develop novel cancer therapies.

The collaboration will harness the two companies' highly synergistic
capabilities in drug discovery biology and chemistry to accelerate the
development of new cancer drug candidates with the intention of licensing
compounds after initial clinical trials.

EiRx has discovered novel gene targets that control apoptosis and cancer cell
survival, using its proprietary target discovery and validation platform,
ALIBI(TM). Under the collaboration, 5 of these targets will be brought together
with Sareum's expertise and high-throughput processes in protein expression,
structure determination and medicinal chemistry. The skill sets of the two
companies combine with the aim of rapidly and efficiently discovering novel
chemical entities for development into effective cancer therapies.

The collaboration represents a significant milestone for both Sareum and EiRx.
It enables both companies to complement their respective service-based
businesses with the opportunity to generate a pipeline of potential drug
candidates. Payments and royalties arising from any licensing deals through this
collaboration will be shared between Sareum and EiRx.

Commenting on the agreement, EiRx's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ian Hayes, said:
"Many types of cancer still remain hard to treat effectively because they are
resistant to conventional drug therapies. The ability of the cancer cell to
evade death, by apoptosis, appears to be central to this resistance. At EiRx we
have applied our knowledge of apoptosis to find points of intervention for the
design of new, selective and more potent therapies for these cancers. The
structure-based approach to chemistry employed by Sareum perfectly complements
EiRx's apoptosis and cancer biology. I am looking forward to working with Sareum
and bringing these new cancer therapies to the clinic."

Commenting on the agreement, Sareum's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tim Mitchell,
said: "I am delighted to have entered into this agreement which allows Sareum
and EiRx to pool our complementary skills in structure-based drug discovery and
apoptosis biology in a collaborative framework structured to rapidly discover
cancer drug candidates that we hope will add significant value to both companies
and ultimately to benefit cancer patients."

For further information:

EiRx Therapeutics plc +44 (0) 1260 226529

John Pool, Chairman

Sareum Holdings +44 (0) 1223 497700
Tim Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer

Buchanan Communications +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
Mark Court, Mary-Jane Johnson

henderson celtic ge - 1 Sep'06 - 12:43 - 2316 of 2316


WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE...THIS IS NOT A RAMP


EiRx Therapeutics plc (AIM: ERX), the healthcare company specialising in the
control of programmed life and death of cells (apoptosis), and Sareum Holdings
plc (AIM: SAR), the structure-based drug discovery and services business, are
pleased to announce they have entered into a collaboration to discover and
develop novel cancer therapies.

Expect BIG NEWS

the begining of a long journey down a long road TO PROFIT//////SO ?????THE coffee could and will wait//

John Pool - Chairman
Chairmans Statement : March 2005

"Sareum Holdings plc is a structure based drug discovery and services business. The collaboration with EiRx has harnessed the two companies highly synergistic capabilities in drug discovery biology and chemistry to accelerate the development of new cancer drug candidates with the intention of licensing compounds after initial clinical trials.

Under the collaboration, five novel gene drug targets discovered by EiRx are benefiting from Sareums expertise and high-throughput processes in protein expression, structure determination and medicinal chemistry. The combination of the two companies is designed to develop effective cancer therapies, which the companies plan to take to Phase II clinical trials. "

http://www.eirx.com/eirx_pages/chairstatement.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5304910.stm

Gene therapy frees men of cancer

Mr Origer is now clear of his cancer
Two men have been cleared of deadly skin cancer using genetically modified versions of their own immune cells.
For Mark Origer, 53, the treatment destroyed his tumour, enabling him to attend his daughter's wedding.

The US National Cancer Institute team in Bethesda has also shown it can manipulate immune cells to attack breast, liver and lung cancers.

The modified T cells persisted in 15 other patients treated, but their malignant melanomas remained.

We've identified T cell receptors that will now recognise common cancers

Lead researcher Dr Stephen Rosenberg


Q&A: Cancer gene therapy
Before the experiment, the patients were expected to only live for three to six months because their disease was so advanced.

Tests showed the genetically modified T cells used in the new treatment became specialised tumour fighters, the journal Science reports.

Although only two of the 17 people with advanced melanoma who received the treatment were completely free of cancer 18 months later, experts say the results are extremely exciting and proof that this new therapy can work.

How it works

Dr Stephen Rosenberg and his team isolated T cells from the cancer patients and multiplied them in the lab.

FIGHTING CANCER WITH GENES

1 Blood taken from patient
2 T cells infected with virus to carry key genes into them
3 DNA from genes helps cells develop receptors
4 Modified cells injected back into patient
5 Receptors target cancerous cells to be killed

Next they used a virus to carry receptor genes into the T cells. These receptors are what enable the modified T cell to recognise specific cancers - in this case malignant melanoma.

When the modified T cells were transfused into the patients they began to attack the tumour cells.

For at least two months after the treatment, the modified cells made up at least 10% of the patients' circulating T cells.

The scientists are now looking at ways to enable greater numbers of the modified T cells to survive.

Dr Rosenberg said: "We've identified T cell receptors that will now recognise common cancers."

Disease free

For Mark Origer, 53, the treatment completely eliminated his skin cancer and another tumour on his liver shrunk enough that it could be removed surgically.

These are preliminary but promising results

Professor John Toy of Cancer Research UK

The treatment meant he was well enough to attend his daughter's wedding last year. Last week, doctors pronounced him completely clear of cancer cells.

Another man, aged 39, was able to clear the cancer that had spread to his liver, lymph nodes and lung.

Dr Michael Sadelain, director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre's somatic cell engineering laboratory, said: "This certainly is a significant technical advance."

But he said the technique would need improving so more patients could benefit.

The success of this approach in two patients shows promise, however 15 patients did not respond to the treatment

Dr Edel O'Toole, British Skin Foundation spokesman

Professor Savio Woo, from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said the treatment should now be tested in more patients.

Professor Robert Hawkins, professor in medical oncology at the University of Manchester, UK, said the results were very exciting.

"It seems to be effective, but it does seem to need improvement," he added.

Dr Edel O'Toole, consultant dermatologist at the Centre for Cutaneous Research, Barts, and British Skin Foundation spokesman, said: "I think that the success of this approach in two patients shows promise, however 15 patients did not respond to the treatment suggesting that further work is needed to optimise this approach for all patients, which could take many years."

Professor John Toy, medical director at Cancer Research UK, said: "These are preliminary but promising results.

"It's important to realise that we are not looking at a 'miracle cure' for all cancers."

Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer with 8,000 new cases per year in the UK and approximately 1,800 deaths.

All very interesting.

Well done to bring all this info togther potatohead.

STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU LISTEN TO THIS, CLICK ON THE LINK

http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/interview.php?id=18589&player=wma

I did, now what?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5304910.stm

Saw that already, reading it again.

Bear with me

Look ph, are you saying ERX are involved in this?

Where do you see them mentioned in any news on this or are you hopeful that they are?

ERX HAS ALL THE PATENTS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY.. DO THE RESEARCH LAD

ph this is not my field, but I will research as far as I can, if you have any other info other than the above it may be useful.