COPENHAGEN, Denmark, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DanDrit Biotech USA, Inc. ("DanDrit") (OTC:DDRT), a biotechnology company developing a vaccine for the treatment of colorectal cancer, is pleased to announce that it has signed a final collaboration agreement with GISCAD Foundation, a highly recognized Italian group with a focus on digestive tract cancer studies.
The collaboration relates to VIVA, a Phase III adjuvant trial of DanDrit vaccine, in patients with no evidence of disease (NED) Stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC). The primary aim of the VIVA clinical trial is to evaluate the ability of MelCancerVac™ (MCV) to prevent a relapse in Stage IV CRC patients rendered disease free after completion of standard treatment according to local practices. Professor Alberto Sobrero (see below) will be the Principal Investigator of this randomized multicenter study.
Dr. Eric Leire, CEO of DanDrit Biotech, stated, "We are honored to collaborate with the GISCAD Foundation for our VIVA Phase III trial. Its impressive experience in managing clinical trials with advanced colorectal cancer patients is highly valuable to us. We understand that it takes partnerships across institutions, across industries, and across the world to insure that every cancer patient is given the best therapy to improve their outcome.
Additionally, we are very pleased that GISCAD has agreed to direct this important clinical trial. This group's reputation for success in the CRC trials that it manages is well known and gives us added confidence that our trial will be successful as well."
Professor Roberto Labianca, Chairman of GISCAD, noted, "We are delighted to collaborate with DanDrit Biotech in this VIVA Phase III clinical trial. The collaboration will allow us to offer one of the most exciting and promising new therapeutic approaches to advanced colorectal cancer patients."
"The VIVA Phase III randomized multicenter clinical trial design," noted Dr. Paolo Bruzzi, UOC di Epidemiologia Clinica, "is designed to ensure that the results will be representative of the potential benefits of MCV as a new tool in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer."
Dr. Franco Merlo, UOS Centro Clinical Trials dell'Ospedale San Martino di Genova said, "We are very happy to work once again with GISCAD in this advanced colorectal clinical trial as well as a significant new partner, DanDrit Biotech."
About GISCAD FOUNDATION
The GISCAD Foundation – the Italian Group for the Study of Gastrointestinal Carcinoma - is a private not for profit organization founded in 2005.
The main aim of GISCAD Foundation is scientific study and research of gastrointestinal carcinoma. The main Foundation activity is the management of clinical trials, especially those trials aimed at improving clinical practices in patients care, and not for commercial purpose.
GISCAD promoted about 50 phase II-III clinical trials involving 160 Italian centers and about 7650 patients. These trials were sponsored both by Ministerial Bodies and Pharmaceutical Companies.
GISCAD manages a web-site (www.giscad.org) for reporting results from ongoing clinical trials. Other information it provides concerns meaningful national and international events, comments of professional clinicians about scientific items, reports from convention and relevant publications
About Professor Alberto Sobrero
Alberto Sobrero is Head of the Medical Oncology Unit at Ospedale San Martino in Genova (Italy) since 2001. Previously, he was Associate Professor in Medical Oncology at the University of Florence and Udine (Italy). His main research interests include chemotherapy, targeted agents in gastrointestinal cancer and design of clinical trials. Professor Sobrero is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association for Cancer Research (MCR), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and several Italian scientific societies.
About DanDrit Biotech
DanDrit Biotech is a biotechnology company focusing on VIVA Phase III clinical trial for our lead compound MelCancerVac™ (MCV). MCV is an adjuvant immunotherapy that intends to prevent colon cancer recurrence after standard of care surgery and chemotherapy. Our expertise in producing dendritic cells from a patient's blood is combined with conventional production methods with a goal of making new and advanced vaccines for cancer patients.
For further information please go to the DanDrit website: www.dandrit.com or contact the individuals noted below.
Forward Looking Statement
All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are "forward looking statements". While management has based any forward looking statements included in this release on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, which could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the fluctuation of global economic conditions, the performance of management and our employees, our ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in our periodic and current reports available at www.sec.gov. Furthermore, we operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment where new and unanticipated risks may arise. Accordingly, you should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. We disclaim any intention to, and undertake no obligation to, update or revise forward-looking statements.
Contact:
Wolfe Axelrod Weinberger Associates, LLC
Stephen D. Axelrod, CFA/Donald C. Weinberger
(212) 370-4500, (212) 370-4505 fax
steve@wolfeaxelrod.com, don@wolfeaxelrod.com
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SOURCE DanDrit Biotech USA, Inc.