$PMCB a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing targeted treatments for cancer and diabetes using its signature live cell encapsulation technology, Cell-in-a-Box, today reported that preparations for an expanded, follow-up study of the effectiveness of its pancreatic cancer treatment (a combination of low doses of the cancer prodrug ifosfamide and Cell-in-a- Box capsules containing live cells capable of converting ifosfamide into its cancer-killing form) on the accumulation of malignant ascites fluid are in their final stages. This preclinical study will be conducted by Translational Drug Development (TD2) in the United States. Pancreatic cancer expert Dr. Daniel D. Von Hoff is the Chief Development Officer of TD2 and a principal architect of the study. It is expected that the study will begin in approximately two weeks.
This expanded study is designed to build upon the successful results of the pilot study that was completed by TD2 late last year. In that study, mice bearing an aggressive human ovarian cancer (ES-2), which produces significant amounts of malignant ascites fluid, were divided into 4 groups with 10 mice in each group. The mice in Group 1 served as a control group. Group 2 was made up of mice treated with PharmaCyte Biotech's pancreatic cancer treatment. Group 3 was treated with cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug often used to treat ovarian cancer. Group 4 was treated with a combination of PharmaCyte Biotech's pancreatic cancer treatment and cisplatin.