Advaxis Presents New Data Featuring Its Lm Technology™ at

High-dose axalimogene filolisbac immunotherapy will advance to expansion phase 

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 09, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADXS ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, presented a poster featuring clinical development advances with its Lm Technology™ at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 2015 Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Md. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether axalimogene filolisbac could be dosed at higher levels than previous studies conducted by Advaxis in patients with persistent or recurrent metastatic (squamous or non-squamous cell) carcinoma of the cervix (PRmCC).

While previous clinical studies of axalimogene filolisbac were evaluated at 1 x 10 ⁹ CFU, data from this Phase 1 dose escalation study showed axalimogene filolisbac may be safely administered with prophylactic antibiotics up to 1 x 10 ¹⁰ CFU, a tenfold increase. Higher doses of axalimogene filolisbac have been shown pre-clinically to correlate with increased antigen presentation and greater targeted anti-tumor activity.

Clinical data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial reported the first evidence for the safety and tolerability of axalimogene filolisbac at higher doses in patients with PRmCC. In the study, a total of 27 cycles of therapy were delivered at the 5 x 10 ⁹ CFU dose level and to date, 5 cycles at the high dose of 1 x 10 ¹⁰ CFU, which will now constitute the randomized Phase 2 dose (RP2D). The adverse events observed at the high dose are consistent with previous experience.

“I’m extremely excited about this study because we have evaluated doses of axalimogene filolisbac at 5 and 10 times the level currently administered in the clinical trial program to date, with the goal of evaluating whether the increased dose and protein expression may lead to greater clinical benefit,” said principal investigator Sharad Ghamande, M.D., Director of Gynecology Oncology at GRU Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University in Augusta, Ga. “Importantly, even at higher doses, the adverse event profile continues to be predominantly grade 1 grade 2, transient events, self-resolving within hours or resolving promptly with the introduction of anti-inflammatory medications.”

The RP2D will now be explored further in an expansion cohort in subjects with PRmCC.

About Cervical Cancer 

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the most common cause of mortality in women worldwide. In the United States, nearly 13,000 new cases are diagnosed and approximately 4,100 deaths are reported because of cervical cancer. According to the WHO/ICO Information Centre on HPV and Cervical Cancer, about 3.9 percent of women in the U.S. are estimated to harbor high-risk cervical HPV infection at a given time, and 71.7 percent of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to high-risk HPV strains.

About Axalimogene Filolisbac

Axalimogene filolisbac (ADXS-HPV) is Advaxis’s lead Lm Technology™ immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: invasive cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, and anal cancer. In a completed randomized Phase 2 study in recurrent/refractory cervical cancer, axalimogene filolisbac showed apparent prolonged survival, objective tumor responses, and a manageable safety profile alone or in combination with chemotherapy, supporting further development of the company’s Lm Technology™.

About Advaxis, Inc. 

Located in Princeton, N.J., Advaxis, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multiple cancer immunotherapies based on its proprietary Lm Technology™. The Lm Technology™, using bioengineered live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes ( Lm ) bacteria, is the only known cancer immunotherapy agent shown in preclinical studies to both generate cancer fighting T-cells directed against a cancer antigen and neutralize Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that protect the tumor microenvironment from immunologic attack and contribute to tumor growth. Advaxis's lead Lm Technology™ immunotherapy, axalimogene filolisbac, targets human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: Phase 2 in invasive cervical cancer, Phase 1/2 in head and neck cancer, and Phase 1/2 in anal cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted axalimogene filolisbac orphan drug designation for each of these three clinical settings.

Clinical trials of axalimogene filolisbac have been placed on clinical hold by the FDA. Advaxis is working closely with the FDA and expects this clinical hold will be resolved expeditiously and without significant interruption to the HPV clinical development program.

For additional information on Advaxis, visit www.advaxis.com and connect on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , YouTube and Google+ .

Forward-Looking Statements 

This media statement contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: statements regarding Advaxis’s ability to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapies; and the safety and efficacy of Advaxis’s proprietary immunotherapies. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, including the risk factors set forth from time to time in Advaxis’s SEC filings, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014, which is available at http://www.sec.gov . Advaxis undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.