PDS Biotechnology reports positive Phase I results

NetScientific plc

(“NetScientific” or the “Group”)

PDS Biotechnology reports positive Phase I clinical trial results in proprietary HPV-Cancer Immunotherapy

London, UK – 28 May 2015 – NetScientific (AIM: NSCI) notes that portfolio company, PDS Biotechnology Corp., has announced positive preliminary data showing that its lead cancer immunotherapy treatment, PDS0101, has generated strong T-cell responses in pre-cervical cancer.  

Currently, pre-cervical cancer is treated by surgical removal of lesions however; PDS0101 could offer an effective non-surgical alternative. Results show that it primes and activates the body’s defense mechanisms (T-cells) to recognize, target, and kill precancerous and cancerous cells that display HPV viral proteins, which are responsible for over 99% of cervical cancers. The patient population tested were those most likely to develop invasive cancer as they had little to no pre-treatment immune responses to HPV-16.

The results are the first demonstration of PDS Biotechnology’s proprietary synthetic immunotherapy technology, Versamune’s^®, application in human cancer. They also mirror preclinical data which showed strong T-cell responses and aggressive tumor regression with low doses of the product. The results mark an important step towards the development of next generation therapies to treat early and late stage cancers and suggest that Versamune^® could be used by other immuno-oncology platform technologies.

Mike Boyce-Jacino, Executive Director of NetScientific and Director of PDS Biotechnology, said: “We are dedicated to building a unique transformative portfolio and investing in breakthrough therapeutic companies like PDS Biotechnology, which is at the forefront of developing immunotherapeutics.

“PDS Biotechnology’s promising results represent an important milestone for the company. The combination of Versamune’s^® powerful and safe profile helps validate its potential to transform treatments for a wide range of cancers and infectious diseases. We now look forward to seeing the Phase II trials begin.”

-ENDS-

About NetScientific

NetScientific is a biomedical and healthcare technology group that funds and develops technologies that offer transformative benefits to people’s lives and society through improved diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. For more information, please visit the website at www.netscientific.net  

About PDS Biotechnology

PDS Biotechnology is an immunotherapeutics company developing its powerful nanoparticle technology, called Versamune^®, as a novel cancer therapy platform with outstanding potential in directing the immune system to recognise and fight disease. The Company is developing a range of applications in cancer and infectious disease and its first lead compound is in phase I clinical trials. For more information visit www.pdsbiotech.com 

About Versamune^®

Versamune^® is a first-in-class synthetic technology that efficiently accesses an immunological pathway known as the MHC Class-I pathway, a key to activating effector killer T-cells called CD8+ T-cells. Versamune^® also activates the induction of important proteins called chemokines which cause the generation of robust CD8+ T-cell responses. Certain formulations of Versamune^®have been demonstrated to reduce the population of immune suppressive cells, thus making the T-cells significantly more effective in their tumor killing function.   

About HPV-Caused Cancers

Human papillomavirus (HPV) plays a key role in the development of several cancers including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (pre-cancer), cervical cancer, head and neck cancers, anal cancer and penile cancer, and is the most common sexually transmitted agent worldwide.   Approximately 78 million Americans are believed to be infected with HPV, 420,000 Americans are diagnosed with CIN each year, and approximately 13,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer are diagnosed each year.  

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