Lymphoma patients in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay could soon be receiving new treatment options, after the state government backed pre-clinical trials of a “cancer-bursting” immunotherapy.
Victorian drug developers, Avipep will commence testing their new antibody based therapy at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in partnership with CSIRO.
The new technique uses small antibody fragments that locate and destroy lymphoma cancer cells.
“Everyone knows someone who’s been affected by cancer – we must take every opportunity to improve the treatment and outlook for these awful diseases,” Innovation, Medical research and the Digital Economy Minister Jaala Pulford said.
Lymphoma tumours are often resistant to treatment and the new therapy offers hope for relapsed patients as there are currently minimal treatments available for those who have had multiple recurrences.
Avipep’s treatment has also been designed to work against a wide range of lymphoma cancers, including Hodgkin’s lymphomas, ALCL and CTCL lymphomas.
An estimated 1700 Victorians are diagnosed with lymphoma each year, many lose their lives within five to ten years of initial diagnosis.
