Biomira Inc. has change the anticipated timetable for the start of its planned BLP25 Liposome Vaccine (L-BLP25) phase 3 study in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The change will allow the Company and its collaborator on L-BLP25, Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, to address an accelerated stability issue discovered during the manufacturing process, announced the company.

As a result, the start of the trial, which was planned to start at the end of 2005, is now expected to move into 2006.

“An article published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) this month underlined our confidence in the potential of L-BLP25 and the clinically important results seen with the product to date in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer,” said Dr. Alex McPherson, president and CEO of Biomira. “We are working with Merck KGaA and others to discover the cause of the problem now evident during the manufacturing process and to take corrective action as quickly as possible,” he added.