New York, NY -- NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is currently seeking patients for a nationwide, multicenter clinical research trial to explore the benefits of a unique vaccine to treat low-grade follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). This randomized Phase 3 study will test a personalized immunotherapy vaccine created from a patient's own tumor cells to potentially combat the cancer and interfere with disease progression. NewYork Weill Cornell is the only site in New York State participating in this trial.Ê

"This study is for patients with previously untreated, advanced stage low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who want to use their own immune system as a first line of defense to fight the disease," said John P. Leonard, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Oncology Services, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, and investigator on the trial. "Low-grade NHL is a cancer with no readily available cure, and conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation have been shown to lose efficacy and cause side effects as the disease progresses. We are hopeful that this technique for stimulating the immune system to recognize and then attack the cancer will result in longer-term remissions."

Approximately 480 patients are expected to participate in the North American study, being conducted at more than 25 institutions throughout the United States and Canada and supported by Genitope Corporation, a Redwood City, California-based biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of personalized immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer.

Dr. Leonard, a leading oncologist and expert on hematological malignancies, will present "Idiotype Vaccination for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma" at the Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium XX on Friday, November 15 at 11:30 a.m., in New York. His presentation will address the treatment of NHL with this innovative cancer therapy and educate medical professionals about the clinical trial enrolling patients at NewYork Weill Cornell.

To be eligible for the study, patients must be diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and have not received treatment. If enrolled in the study, a small biopsy of their cancer will be taken from a lymph node, bone marrow or other site of lymphoma, and sent to Genitope Corporation to make a vaccine unique to each patient. Following a standard chemotherapy regimen, two-thirds of patients will receive a subcutaneous injection of the vaccine crafted from their own tumor cells while one-third will receive a vaccine using a non-specific immune stimulant.Ê

This personalized immunotherapy is designed to target the tumor-specific marker, which like a fingerprint, is unique to every lymphoma patient. Once injected, the vaccine is intended to direct the patient's own immune system to treat his or her tumor as a foreign invader. "Lymphomas use mechanisms to evade the body's immune system. This new treatment is designed to help awaken the immune system to recognize the tumor as foreign and in turn attack the cells that have the idiotype protein on the surface, namely the cancer cells," said Dr. Leonard. "Unlike other cancer treatments, these personalized vaccines will leave healthy cells unharmed."

Data from an earlier clinical trial showed that about two-thirds of patients treated with a similar personalized immunotherapy mounted specific, positive immune responses. The goal of the current Phase 3 clinical research trial is to demonstrate a significant improvement in the time-to-disease progression in those treated with the cancer vaccine compared to a control group.Ê

NHL affects about 250,000 patients and is the fifth most common cancer in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), its incidence is on the rise, with nearly 54,000 newly diagnosed cases and more than 24,000 deaths each year. Although the cause of NHL is unknown, infectious agents, medications and certain pollutants are suspected by the NCI to contribute to its incidence. Standard treatments such as chemotherapy can reduce the tumor mass in low-grade lymphoma patients, but chemotherapy-induced remissions are generally temporary, and the lymphoma often become resistant to chemotherapy over time.

"I believe this technology offers the potential to improve the outcome of therapy over results that we have previously been able to achieve," said Dr. Leonard. "We are excited to participate in a study that may provide hope to the thousands of people suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma."

Patients interested in learning more about this NHL trial can call 212-746-2932 for more information, or visit the NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center of NewYork Presbyterian Hospital web site at www.nyp.org or www.med.cornell.edu.

The NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center, one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprises both Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Weill Cornell campus, located on 68th St. in Manhattan. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at Weill Cornell is the chief clinical affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College. The NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory, and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education, and community service.