Madison Vaccines Incorporated (MVI) today announced dosing has begun in a combination trial for MVI-816 (pTVG-HP), its lead prostate cancer vaccine, paired with pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), a PD-1 inhibitor, also called a checkpoint inhibitor. A PD-1 inhibitor works by exposing cancer cells to attack by the immune system by preventing the cancer cells from blocking an effective immune response. MVI-816, already in a Phase 2 clinical trial as monotherapy, has been shown to induce persistent T-cell responses in prostate cancer patients. The combination trial will test the hypothesis that both treatments work together synergistically. The first-of-its kind combination to reach this stage will be tested in men with metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and will be conducted at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Carbone Cancer Center under the direction of Douglas McNeel, MD, PhD, a leading prostate cancer researcher at the university.
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