Healthcare Industry News:  liposome 

Biopharmaceuticals Oncology

 News Release - January 2, 2007

Stimuvax(R) Phase III clinical trial in patients with non-small cell lung cancer now open for patient enrollment

EDMONTON, Jan. 2 (HSMN NewsFeed) - Biomira Inc. (Nasdaq: BIOM ; TSX: BRA ) today announced that the global Phase III clinical trial, START (Stimulating Targeted Antigenic Responses To NSCLC), assessing the efficacy and safety of Stimuvax® (BLP25 liposome vaccine) as a potential treatment for patients with unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is open for patient enrollment. The trial is being conducted by Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, ("Merck") and its U.S. affiliate EMD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. under the provision of a collaboration agreement between Biomira and Merck. Biomira is entitled to a milestone payment upon enrollment of the first patient in the Phase III trial, which is anticipated to occur in January 2007.

Enrollment in the trial, which is expected to include more than 1,300 patients in approximately 30 countries, is now open to patients in 12 countries, including the U.S., and will subsequently expand to additional countries. Currently, there are no approved maintenance therapies for patients responding to first-line treatment for unresectable stage III NSCLC.

About the START Trial

The START trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that will evaluate patients with documented unresectable stage III NSCLC who have had a response or stable disease after at least two cycles of platinum based radio-chemotherapy. The study has been designed considering scientific advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMEA/CHMP) and has been agreed upon with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA). Data from a randomized phase IIb trial described below encouraged the initiation of the Phase III program.

For more information on the START trial, or to find a participating center and eligibility criteria, log on to www.StimuvaxSTART.com or www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About Stimuvax

Stimuvax is an innovative cancer vaccine designed to induce an immune response to cancer cells that express MUC1, a protein antigen widely expressed on common cancers. MUC1 is over expressed on many cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Stimuvax is thought to work by stimulating the body's immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells expressing MUC1.

A randomized Phase IIb trial was conducted in 171 patients with stage IIIb and IV NSCLC with response or stable disease after first line therapy. While the overall study results were not statistically significant, in the randomization stratum of patients with stage IIIb locoregional disease, Stimuvax showed a median survival of 30.6 months versus 13.3 months in the control group - an improvement of 17.3 months. In the Phase IIb trial, side effects were primarily limited to mild-to-moderate flu-like symptoms, GI disturbances, and mild injection site reactions.

About Biomira

Biomira is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer. Biomira's goal is to develop and commercialize novel synthetic vaccines and targeted small molecules that have the potential to improve the lives and outcomes of cancer patients.

This press release contains forward looking statements, including, without limitation, statements related to payments Biomira expects to receive; the therapeutic and commercial potential of Stimuvax and other drug candidates in Biomira's pipeline; future clinical development plans; the details of the clinical trials; and the anticipated future size of the market for Stimuvax. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," "intends," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Biomira's current expectations. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Various factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, including those predicting the timing, duration and results of clinical trials, the timing and results of regulatory reviews, the safety and efficacy of Stimuvax, and the possibility of future payments. There can be no guarantee that the results of earlier trials will be predictive of either safety or efficacy in future trials. Biomira expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.


Source: Biomira

Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its content.
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