AVAN Avant Immunotherapeutics (MM)

PHILLIPSBURG, N.J., May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Celldex Therapeutics (a wholly-owned subsidiary of AVANT Immunotherapeutics)(NASDAQ:AVAN) announced today that its lead product candidate, CDX-110, being developed for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), will be the subject of an oral presentation at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The ASCO meeting will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 30 through June 3, 2008. The oral presentation, scheduled for Monday, June 2 from 10:00 - 10:15 a.m. CDT in room S406 (Vista Room), will include median survival data from ACTIVATE, a phase IIa clinical trial, and data from ACT II, the extension arm of the study. The presentation will be given by John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at Duke University Medical Center. On April 16, 2008, Pfizer, Inc. and Celldex entered into an agreement that granted Pfizer an exclusive worldwide license to CDX-110, an investigational vaccine currently in development for the treatment of GBM. About CDX-110 CDX-110 is designed to induce or enhance the body's immune responses against epidermal growth factor variant III (EGFRvIII) and may lead to destruction of tumor cells that express this variant receptor. A randomized Phase 2 trial is currently enrolling at 24 sites across the United States. About Glioblastoma Multiforme GBM is the most common form of primary brain tumor. It is an aggressive tumor with very poor prognosis.(1) There are an estimated 10,000 new cases of GBM annually in the United States, which predominantly affects adults aged 45 to 70. Current GBM treatment options include surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. (1) Uddin S, Jarmi T. Glioblastoma Multiforme. Available at http://www.emedicine.com/NEURO/topic147.htm. Accessed May 6, 2008. About AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. AVANT Immunotherapeutics and Celldex Therapeutics combined during the first quarter of 2008. AVANT is a NASDAQ-listed company discovering and developing innovative vaccines and targeted immunotherapeutics for the treatment of cancer, infectious and inflammatory diseases. AVANT focuses on the use of tumor-specific targets and human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to precisely deliver therapeutic agents through its novel "targeted immunization" approach. In addition, AVANT is exploiting its access to proprietary human antibody technology for development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). AVANT's deep product pipeline consists of products in varying stages of development. Identification of the potential of EGFRvIII in cancer diagnosis, prevention and therapy was based on the collaborative efforts of Dr. Bert Vogelstein and Dr. Albert Wong at Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Darell Bigner at Duke University. Application of this discovery toward the development of the CDX-110 vaccine was further advanced by Dr. John Sampson and his colleagues at the Duke University Brain Tumor Center in collaboration with Dr. Amy Heimberger at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. AVANT also has several product candidates in its development pipeline including: -- CDX-1307, a product based on its proprietary APC Targeting Technology(TM), which is in two Phase 1 clinical trials for patients with advanced pancreatic, bladder, breast and colon cancer; -- TP10, a complement inhibitor, in development for transplantation and other indications; and -- Three candidates based on oral, rapidly-protecting, single-dose and temperature-stable vaccine technology, including combination vaccines for travellers, the military and global health needs. AVANT has three commercialized products, including Rotarix(R) (partnered with GSK) for the prevention of rotavirus infection and two human food safety vaccines for reducing salmonella infection in chickens and eggs. Additional information on AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. can be obtained through its web site http://www.avantimmune.com/. Contact: Marissa Nelson BMC Communications +1-212-477-9007 x21 DATASOURCE: AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. CONTACT: Marissa Nelson of BMC Communications for AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc., +1-212-477-9007 x21 Web site: http://www.avantimmune.com/ http://www.asco.org/ASCO/Meetings/ASCO+Annual+Meeting

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