12-Bagger Scancell Holdings Plc Offers "Positive" Results

Updated

Scancell Holdings (LSE: SCLP) reported first-half figures today, and brought us news of "encouraging preliminary results from part 1 of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial" for its lead vaccine SCIB1.

The developer of therapeutic cancer vaccines said that initial signs show evidence that the vaccine 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 4mg dose, Scancell has received approval to evaluate an 8mg dose in an extra group of patients, in parallel with part 2 of the Phase 1/2 trial.

The vaccines are based on Scancell's patented ImmunoBody platform, approved in Europe, Australia and now the United States.

Scancell's chairman commented:

"The company has also announced the development of a new platform technology, Moditope(TM), which the directors believe could have a profound effect on the way that cancer vaccines are developed."

Moditope stimulates the production of killer CD4 T cells with powerful anti-tumour activity, with management saying: "CD4 responses to cancer associated antigens have been notoriously difficult to generate whether presented as peptides, proteins or DNA. Scancell has identified and patented a series of modified epitopes that overcome this limitation."

The shares dropped off by 1% to 39p this morning, following news that Scancell made a loss of £923,020 compared to H1 2011's loss of £893,404, with the balance sheet dipping to £2.57bn at 31 October 2012 from £3.53bn at 30 April 2012.

However, 2012 was the year that saw the emergence of Scancell as an investment prospect, soaring from a low near the beginning of the year of 4.75p to finish 2012 near a high of 60p -- over a 12-fold increase! With the shares having fallen back slightly to hover around 40p, further successful tests in 2013 could see another giant leap in the shares' value.

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