Prostate Cancer Immunotherapeutic Candidate Launches Phase 1/2 Study

Vaccitech plc today announced the dosing of the first patient in the PCA001 multi-center, Phase 1/2 clinical trial designed to determine the recommended Phase 2 regimen and evaluate the safety, efficacy, as measured by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response, and T cell response of VTP-850 monotherapy in men with rising PSA after definitive local therapy for their cancer disease.

VTP-850 is a next-generation prostate cancer immunotherapeutic candidate which utilizes Vaccitech’s sequential dosing approach of two proprietary nonreplicating viral vectors, ChAdOx and MVA. 

“VTP-850 encodes four prostate cancer antigens and is designed to induce a broader T cell response to tumor cells,” said Dr. Meg Marshall, Chief Medical Officer of Vaccitech, in a press release on June 12, 2023.

“When the immune system targets multiple molecules on tumor cells, it is generally harder for tumor cells to escape destruction by the immune system.”

In the U.S., about 13% of men will get prostate cancer during their lifetime.