Breast cancer vaccine (Lumos Pharma)

This 2-phase study will determine the safety of treating patients with breast cancer with the genetically engineered HyperAcute-Breast cancer vaccine. It will establish the proper vaccine dose and will examine side effects and potential benefits of the treatment. The vaccine contains killed breast cancer cells containing a mouse gene that causes the production of a foreign pattern of protein-sugars on the cell surface. It is hoped that the immune response to the foreign substance will stimulate the immune system to attack the patient's own cancer cells that have similar proteins without this sugar pattern, causing the tumor to remain stable or shrink.
Patients 18 years of age or older with breast cancer that has recurred or no longer responds to standard treatment may be eligible for this study. Candidates will be screened with medical history and physical examination, blood tests, urinalysis, chest x-rays and CT scans. MRI, PET, and ultrasound scans may be obtained if needed.
Participants will receive four vaccinations a month apart from each other. The vaccines will be injected under the skin, similar to the way a tuberculosis skin test is given. Phase I of the study will treat successive groups of patients with increasing numbers of the vaccine cells to evaluate side effects of the treatment and determine the optimum dose. Phase II will look for any beneficial effects of the vaccine given at the highest dose found to be safe in Phase I. Weekly blood samples will be drawn during the 4 months of vaccine treatment. In addition, patient follow-up visits will be scheduled every 2 months for the first year after vaccination and then every 3 months for the next 2 years for the following tests and procedures to evaluate treatment response and side effects:
Medical history and physical examination
Blood tests
X-rays and various scans (nuclear medicine/CT/MRI)
FACT-B Assessment questionnaire to measure the impact of treatment on the patient's general well-being. The questionnaire is administered before beginning treatment, before each vaccination, and during follow-up visits after completing the treatment. It includes questions on the severity of breast cancer symptoms and the ability to perform normal activities of daily life.