Dr. Thaker on EGEN-001 Combined With Doxorubicin for Ovarian Cancer

Premal H. Thaker, MD, MS, associate professor of gynecologic oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, discusses a phase I study examining the combination of EGEN-001 and doxorubicin for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

EGEN-001 is an immunotherapeutic agent comprised of a human IL-12 plasmid and polyethyleneglycol-polyethyleneimine-cholesterol. The combination was tested in a dose-escalation study with three different doses. Sixteen patients were enrolled in the study, Thaker says.

Researchers found an approximate 86% clinical benefit with the highest dose level, and two patients had partial responses. The highest dosage of EGEN-001 combined with doxorubicin had the most efficacy in patients as well as the highest level of stabilization of disease. This is significant, Thaker says, because of the lack of effective therapies currently available for this subgroup of patients.