TAMPA, Fla., June 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Moffitt Cancer Center has treated the first patient nationally in Kite Pharma's (Nasdaq:KITE) Phase 1/2 clinical trial of KTE-C19. The trial includes an investigational therapy for patients with refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).
KTE-C19 is an investigational therapy in which a patient's T cells are genetically modified to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) designed to target the antigen CD19, a protein expressed on the cell surface of B-cell lymphomas and leukemias.
"We are enthusiastic about the possibility that KTE-C19 can safely put patients with chemotherapy-refractory aggressive lymphoma into remission," said Frederick L. Locke, M.D., medical oncologist, and trial investigator, in the Department of Blood & Marrow Transplantation at Moffitt. "Kite has done an outstanding job advancing immunotherapy for testing in a multi-institution trial."
Trial sponsor, Kite Pharma, Inc., is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of novel cancer immunotherapy products, with a primary focus on engineered autologous T-cell therapy (eACTTM) designed to restore the immune system's ability to recognize and eradicate tumors.
"This is a very exciting time for Kite, and we're grateful to the patients and clinical researchers who greatly contribute to the progress of our KTE-C19 program," said Kite President, Chairman and CEO, Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS.
Kite's Phase 1/2 clinical trial of KTE-C19 is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter study designed to determine the safety and efficacy of KTE-C19 in patients with refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) or transformed follicular lymphoma (TFL).
Upon completion of the Phase 1 portion of the study, Moffitt anticipates participating in Kite's expected Phase 2 portion, which will include approximately 112 patients across multiple clinical trial sites.
Patients interested in learning more about this clinical trial at Moffitt can contact clinical trial coordinator Beth Bresee, at 813-745-7227, Bethany.bresee@moffitt.org.
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Located in Tampa, Moffitt is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's excellence in research, its contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt is the top-ranked cancer hospital in the Southeast and has been listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of the "Best Hospitals" for cancer since 1999. With more than 4,500 employees, Moffitt has an economic impact on the state.