Medivir presents MIV-818 data at AACR-NCI-EORTC in Boston
Stockholm, Sweden — Medivir AB (Nasdaq Stockholm: MVIR) today announces that a poster entitled “MIV-818 stimulates an anti-tumor immune response in vitro and enhances the effects of pembrolizumab” was presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC conference in Boston. The data shows that MIV-818 exerts favorable immunomodulating effects in vitro by increasing immune cytokine levels in complex tumor microenvironment models, and the white blood cell mediated killing of cancer cells. These effects are further enhanced in combination with the anti-PD1 check-point inhibitor pembrolizumab.
“It is exciting that MIV-818, in addition to directly targeting cancer cells, also modulates the anti-tumor immune-response. This opens the possibility for potential future combinations with immunotherapy” – says Dr Fredrik Öberg, CSO.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Uli Hacksell, CEO, Medivir AB, phone: +46 (0)8 5468 3100.
About MIV-818
MIV-818 is a pro-drug designed to selectively treat liver cancers and to minimize side effects. It has the potential to become the first liver-targeted, orally administered drug to benefit patients with HCC and other forms of liver cancer. A phase I study in patients with liver cancer is ongoing.
About liver cancer
Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common cancer that arises in the liver. Although existing therapies for advanced HCC are capable of extending the lives of patients, treatment benefits are low while death rates remain high. HCC is a very diverse disease with multiple cancer cell types and without specific mutations seen in other tumor types. This has contributed to the lack of success of molecularly targeted agents in HCC. The limited overall benefit, taken together with the poor overall prognosis for patients with intermediate and advanced HCC, results in a large unmet medical need.
About Medivir
Medivir develops innovative drugs with a focus on cancer where the unmet medical needs are high. The company is investing in indication areas where available therapies are limited or missing and there are great opportunities to offer significant improvements to patients. Collaborations and partnerships are important parts of Medivir's business model and the drug development as well as the commercialization is conducted either by Medivir or in partnership. Medivir's share (ticker: MVIR) is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm's Small Cap list. www.medivir.com.
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