Scancell Holdings Plc, (AIM:SCLP), the developer of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, is to host an Investor Update on Tuesday, 1 October 2013.

Joint CEO’s, Dr Richard Goodfellow and Professor Lindy Durrant will present an update on Scancell’s SCIB1 trial and an introduction to their new Moditope™ platform.  Specialist guest speakers, led by Professor Karol Sikora, will form an interactive panel to discuss how the natural immune system can be harnessed to eradicate tumour cells and the prospects for this emerging class of immunotherapies as effective treatments for cancer.  The event will be followed by a lunch.

Scancell is developing novel therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of cancer based on its ground-breaking ImmunoBody® and Moditope™ technology platforms.

Scancell’s first cancer vaccine SCIB1 is being developed for the treatment of malignant melanoma and is in Phase 1/2 clinical trials.  Encouraging results from the Phase 1 part of the study provided the first evidence that Scancell’s ImmunoBody® vaccine approach is producing an immune response in cancer patients which may also be associated with clinical benefit.  In view of the positive results and minimal side effects seen with the 4 mg dose (Part 1) the Company has initiated evaluation of an 8 mg dose in parallel with Part 2 of the study. 

Scancell has also identified and patented a series of modified epitopes that stimulate the production of killer immune cells that destroy tumours without toxicity.  This Moditope™ platform has the potential to generate a completely new class of potent and selective immunotherapy agents and could have a profound effect on the way that cancer vaccines are developed.  In particular, the technology can overcome the immune suppression induced by tumours themselves without the need for checkpoint blockade inhibitors (for example CTLA4 antibodies and PD-1 inhibitors), thereby allowing activated T cells seek out and kill tumour cells that would otherwise be hidden from the immune system.

For further details of the event, please contact Mo Noonan or Eleanor Clarke at FTI Consulting.

-ENDS-

For Further Information:

About Scancell

Scancell is developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer based on its ImmunoBody® and Moditope™ technology platforms. Scancell’s first ImmunoBody®, SCIB1 is being developed for the treatment of melanoma and is in Phase 1/2 clinical trials. Preliminary evidence from Part 1 of the study showing that SCIB1 produced an immune response which might be associated with clinical benefit in patients with malignant melanoma was released in December 2012.

Scancell’s ImmunoBody® vaccines target dendritic cells and stimulate both parts of the cellular immune system; the helper cell system where inflammation is stimulated at the tumour site; and the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte or CTL response where immune system cells are primed to recognise and kill specific cells.

Scancell has also identified and patented a series of modified epitopes that stimulate the production of killer CD4 that destroy tumours without toxicity. The Directors believe that the Moditope™ platform could play a major role in the development of safe and effective cancer immunotherapies in the future.