GenVec Inc announced that results from a phase 1 study for its lead product candidate, TNFerade, in patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities were published in the September 1, 2004 edition of Clinical Cancer Research.

The results reveal-TNFerade, administered in combination with radiation therapy, was well tolerated with no dose limiting toxicities; 2 of the 13 patients received TNFerade for palliation (to lessen the severity of symptoms) and did not undergo surgery while 11 patients received TNFerade as pre-operative therapy; 11 of the 13 evaluable patients (85%) demonstrated objective tumour responses, including 2 complete responses and 9 partial responses; of the 11 patients who received TNFerade as treatment prior to surgery.

Arno J Mundt, associate professor, University of Chicago and medical director, University of Illinois at Chicago commented on the study, "The phase 1 results are impressive. In addition to TNFerade being well tolerated, straight forward administration of the drug candidate made it easy on both the patient and the treating physician."

Paul D Kessler, GenVec's executive director of Clinical Research said, "These peer-reviewed data support the safety of TNFerade in large, very difficult to treat tumours. We continue to see encouraging clinical data with TNFerade and are currently in Phase 2 clinical studies in pancreatic, rectal and esophageal cancers."

GenVec is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for cancer, heart disease, vision loss, and vaccines for infectious diseases.