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Pancreatic Cancer Trial Data Will Be Released Soon

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A biotech company that has begun clinical testing of human antibodies to treat cancers is in discussion with potential partners.

MabVax Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (MBVX:NASDAQ), an antibody discovery and development company geared to meet unmet medical needs for treating cancer, recently provided an update on its business strategy.

The San Diego-based company, working with advisor Greenhill & Co., is in "advanced discussions with a variety of interested parties for potential multiple transaction proposals as well as continuing to identify new opportunities." Greenhill was brought on to assist in "exploring and evaluating strategic options with the goal of maximizing stockholder value."

"It is known that Big Pharma are starting to take an interest in the company." – Clive Maund

David Hansen, the president and CEO of MabVax, stated, "Our engagement with Greenhill, whose sole mandate has been to provide MabVax with opportunities in exploring and evaluating strategic options, is progressing extremely well. We are now in advanced discussions with several third parties regarding potential partnering of certain antibody assets for defined fields of use. At the end of this process, MabVax expects to retain rights to key aspects of our antibody development program to build value for our shareholders by advancing on our own some of these assets. We are very optimistic that we will successfully conclude this process early this year."

At the same time, MabVax is advancing its Phase 1 clinical programs, including the "MVT-1075 radioimmunotherapy clinical trial for the treatment of pancreatic, colon and lung cancers, and the MVT-5873 clinical trial in combination with a standard of care chemotherapy as a first line therapy for patients newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."

In December, the company announced the completion of enrollment and dosing in the initial cohort of the MVT-1075 trial. According to the news release, the "primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose and safety profile in patients with recurring disease who have failed prior therapies. Secondary endpoints are to evaluate tumor response rate and duration of response by RECIST 1.1, and to determine dosimetry and pharmacokinetics." Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Honor Health in Scottsdale, Arizona, are among the investigative sites.

The company plans to enroll additional cohorts of patients in the trial and notes that it "remains on track to report results in the first quarter of 2018."

The Phase 1 clinical trials for MVT-5873 are also ongoing. The product is being evaluated in "combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in first line therapy for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with pancreatic cancer."

"MabVax remains on track to report results in the first quarter of 2018 for Phase 1 trials of MVT-1075."

At the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference in October, MabVax provided an update, noting "encouraging preliminary tumor response data when MVT-5873 was given in combination with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in newly diagnosed patients with CA19-9 positive pancreatic cancer." The company highlighted that "two of three subjects receiving 0.125 mg/kg MVT-5873 in combination with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel had a partial response."

MabVac plans to release interim safety results for MVT-5873 by the end of this quarter.

The basis for MabVac's treatment is the HuMab-5B1 antibody. According to the company, it was discovered from the "immune response of cancer patients vaccinated with an antigen-specific vaccine during a Phase 1 trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). The HuMab-5B1 antibody has excellent tumor targeting capabilities, as well as being internalized by pancreatic cancer cells. These important attributes have allowed us to use the HuMab-5B1 antibody as a tumor-targeting platform."

Technical analyst Clive Maund has been following the company at CliveMaund.com for several months. On Sept. 19, he noted that "it is known that Big Pharma are starting to take an interest in the company as several of its drug projects approach successful completion."

On Jan. 11, Maund wrote, "we can see signs in recent days that the price is limbering up to break out of the base, specifically, it yesterday tried to break out above the resistance at the upper boundary of it, and while it didn't quite make it, this attempt was on the strongest volume since October, a sign that it won't be long before it does succeed in breaking out."

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Disclosure:
1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.
2) The following company mentioned in this article is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports: None. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with MabVax.
3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article, until one week after the publication of the interview or article. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of MabVax, a company mentioned in this article.

CliveMaund.com Disclosure:
The above represents the opinion and analysis of Mr. Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. Mr. Maund is an independent analyst who receives no compensation of any kind from any groups, individuals or corporations mentioned in his reports. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks can only be construed as a solicitation to buy and sell securities when they are subject to the prior approval and endorsement of a Registered Securities Advisor operating in accordance with the appropriate regulations in your area of jurisdiction.





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