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[asics01]

The CEO’s Blog — Garo H. Armen
I have always believed in open and transparent dialogue in which to share observations and opinions about the company. Given that we live in an age of instant and global communication, my hope is that this blog will encourage connectivity between our constituencies and enable me to respond directly to your comments and questions.
Through this forum, my intention is to share the direction of the company, increase the understanding of our business, and provide insights and lessons learnt since our inception. Periodically, I will also provide my commentary on developments affecting the industry and how they relate to Antigenics.


March 30, 2007

Yesterday afternoon, an advisory panel of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 13-4 in favor of approval of Dendreon’s prostate cancer vaccine, Provenge. This is a landmark event in the emerging field of cancer vaccines, demonstrating not only the clinical potential of this class of treatments but also signs of increasing regulatory flexibility that may help other promising cancer vaccines reach patients in a reasonable timeframe. As committee member Francesco Marincola, an immunologist with the National Institutes of Health, noted, “This opens up a whole new field of vaccine therapy that is very promising.”

Provenge and Antigenics’ cancer vaccine Oncophage are both patient-specific. Provenge is a cell-based therapy comprised of the patient’s own dendritic cells (specialized immune cells) that are processed to display a ‘shared’ antigen that is common to 95 percent of prostate cancers. Evaluation in late-stage prostate cancer patients shows a survival benefit of about 4.5 months.

Oncophage is a sterile protein preparation comprised of the unique ‘antigenic fingerprint’ purified from the patient’s own tumor cells. It is being evaluated to prevent disease recurrence in earlier-stage kidney cancer patients, which has the potential to have a longer-lasting effect on survival compared with the current paradigm of treatments primarily for later-stage cancer patients. Like most therapeutic cancer vaccines, both Provenge and Oncophage are regarded as generally safe and well tolerated.

Below I’ve outlined some key points about yesterday’s positive panel vote on Provenge and the implications for our clinical development plans for Oncophage.

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March 07, 2007

Presenting at the Cowen Health Care Conference

We put out an announcement this morning regarding my upcoming presentation at the Cowen conference next Tuesday, March 13, at the Boston Marriott Copley Place at 3:15 p.m.

During the presentation, I will cover how new developments underpinning the global vaccine business are transforming the industry and how Antigenics expects to participate in this significant growth through our pipeline of proprietary products as well as through our adjuvant QS-21, which is being used by major players in the vaccine marketplace:

* QS-21, our potent adjuvant, is currently used as a key component of a new generation of vaccines by GlaxoSmithKline, Élan, Wyeth and others to enable many of their vaccines to be effective. GSK, the world leader in vaccines, has the most extensive pipeline in the business and uses QS-21 in most of its advanced vaccine formulations, as declared by GSK's head of research at a recent FDA cancer vaccine workshop.
* Oncophage, our investigational therapeutic cancer vaccine, has completed a Phase 3 clinical trial that indicated a potentially significant benefit in a large subset of renal cell carcinoma patients. We are exploring possible commercialization of Oncophage outside the US as a first step while we keep a close eye on potential regulatory reform in the US -- specifically regarding cancer vaccines (also discussed as the key topic at the same FDA workshop).
* AG-707, our therapeutic vaccine candidate for genital herpes, is in Phase 1 development.

I will also cover our investigational chemotherapeutic product Aroplatin, which is finishing Phase 1 trials.

Our homepage also lists reports from brokerage houses and consulting firms outlining how a new generation of preventative and therapeutic cancer vaccines are creating a new and vibrant vaccine business. Many of our collaborators are the leaders in this emerging field of new generation of vaccines and we are excited about the opportunities this presents for Antigenics through multiple products and platforms.

I look forward to seeing those of you attending the conference or having you listen to the webcast.

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February 26, 2007

Last week we announced our 2006 year-end financial results and corporate update, in which I outlined the expected growth in cancer vaccines, the hints of potential positive regulatory change and highlights from the company’s pipeline. I welcome your comments and look forward to engaging directly in a dialogue with you.

In 2006, Antigenics solidified its position in the growth of the emerging vaccine market. The vaccine marketplace is now proclaimed as the highest growth segment of the pharmaceutical market for the next 10 years in recent reports published by several prominent brokerage houses and consulting firms.

In addition, and more specifically for cancer vaccines, there are hints of potential positive regulatory change. An indication of this was a recent two-day workshop held jointly by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). During this workshop, the NCI director stated, “We have to make rather dramatic changes on how we are going to do drug approvals in the future” – a reference made specifically about the approval of cancer vaccines.

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[asics01]

Oncophage® personalized cancer vaccine
An investigational product

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What is Oncophage?
An investigator holds an Oncophage vial

Oncophage® (vitespen; formerly HSPPC-96) is an investigational personalized vaccine designed to treat cancer with the intent of minimizing side effects. Currently being evaluated in clinical trials, treatment with Oncophage is designed to target only cancerous cells — not healthy normal cells. As a result, Oncophage is designed to limit the toxicities associated with traditional broad-acting cancer treatments.

Oncophage has been granted fast track and orphan drug designations from the US Food and Drug Administration for kidney cancer and metastatic melanoma.
How does Oncophage work?

Based on proprietary heat shock protein technology, the Oncophage vaccine is designed to capture the particular cancer’s ‘fingerprint.’ This fingerprint contains unique antigens (substances that can provoke an immune response) that are present only on that particular patient’s specific cancer cells. Injection of the vaccine is intended to stimulate the patient’s immune system to recognize and attack any cells bearing the specific cancer fingerprint. (animation)
Learn more about heat shock proteins and HSP technology.
How is Oncophage made?

Oncophage is a vaccine made from individual patients’ tumors. Patients have surgery to remove part or all of the cancerous tissue, and the tumor tissue is shipped overnight to Antigenics’ manufacturing facility in Massachusetts.

Using a proprietary manufacturing process, the heat shock protein gp96 and its associated peptides are isolated from the tumor. The complexes are extracted and purified from each sample, then sterilely filtered and placed into vials. The final product is subject to extensive quality-control testing, including sterility testing of each lot. The vaccine is shipped frozen back to the hospital pharmacy for use when the patient has recovered from surgery.
Oncophage News
What’s the difference between Oncophage and other treatments?

Oncophage is different because it’s:

* A vaccine that may help your immune system fight your cancer
* Personalized — it’s created from cells from your own body
* A therapy designed to target specific tumor cells only, thereby leaving healthy cells alone

What is treatment with Oncophage like?

Should Oncophage be successfully prepared from a patient’s tumor, the patient receives the vaccine usually within four to eight weeks after surgery (once the patient has recovered from surgery). The patient receives one injection of Oncophage vaccine once a week for four weeks, then one Oncophage injection every other week. Oncophage treatment is designed to be given on an outpatient basis.
How many people have received Oncophage therapy?

More than 750 cancer patients in more than a dozen clinical trials around the world have received Oncophage in clinical trials. Many of these patients had advanced disease, including kidney cancer, melanoma and colon cancer, and had not responded to traditional cancer treatments.

Find out more about results of past clinical trials.
What are the side effects of Oncophage treatment?

To date, the most common side effects reported in clinical studies with Oncophage were injection-site reactions, pain (in extremities, back, chest, abdomen), nausea, constipation, fatigue, fever, diarrhea, edema (organ/tissue swelling due to excess fluids), weight loss, nasopharyngitis (cold symptoms), arthralgia (pain in the joints), dizziness, anxiety, depression, cough, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), headache, vomiting, anemia, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), anorexia (loss of appetite) and asthenia (weakness).
In what kind of cancers is Oncophage being tested?

The Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, is currently evaluating Oncophage in an investigator-sponsored, Phase 1/2 study as a treatment for recurrent glioma. The primary goal of the study is to establish the feasibility, safety and preliminary efficacy of Oncophage vaccination in glioma patients. Learn more about this trial.

Oncophage has also been evaluated in two international Phase 3 trials in kidney cancer and metastatic melanoma, as well as studies in several other cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer, lymphoma, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and gastric cancer. Antigenics also plans to investigate Oncophage in clinical trials in combination with other therapies

What are the results from clinical trials of Oncophage?

Data from Antigenics’ Phase 3 trial of Oncophage in kidney cancer showed a 44-percent improvement in recurrence-free survival associated with Oncophage in a well-defined subgroup of earlier stage (better-prognosis) patients, although a significant improvement was not observed in the overall patient population. Additional analysis is ongoing.

In a Phase 3 study of Oncophage in metastatic melanoma, overall median survival was 29 percent longer in patients who received at least 10 injections of Oncophage compared with physician’s choice regimen.

Preliminary findings from an investigator-sponsored, Phase 1/2 study evaluating Oncophage as a treatment for recurrent glioma, being conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, showed tumor-specific immune response in all six treated patients, which may be associated with clinical benefit in this patient population. Additional data will be presented in April 2007 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Find out more about results of past clinical trials.
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[asics01]

QS-21 immune adjuvant
An investigational adjuvant
What is QS-21?
QS-21 fact sheet

QS-21™ is an investigational adjuvant, which is a substance added to vaccines and other immunotherapies that is designed to enhance the body’s immune response to the antigen contained within the treatment. It is the leading member of the Stimulon® family of adjuvants. As a vaccine additive, it is currently being evaluated in clinical trials in a variety of disease areas by Antigenics' corporate partners.
How does QS-21 work?

As one of the world’s most widely studied adjuvants, research has shown that when added to a vaccine, QS-21 has the potential ability to increase total vaccine-specific antibody response and T-cell response. In addition, QS-21 appears to increase potency of the vaccine with relatively small quantities of antigen and to exhibit synergy with other adjuvants. Because of the ability of QS-21 to improve the body’s immune response to very low doses of antigen, vaccine antigen may be ‘spared,’ which could significantly decrease the amount of antigen required for a given dose and make vaccine production more economical.
How is QS-21 being tested and in which disease areas?

Through corporate partnering with leading pharmaceutical companies, Antigenics’ QS-21 is an integral part of experimental vaccines and treatments for conditions such as melanoma, malaria, HIV and other infectious diseases. Our partners include GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines, Aventis Pasteur, Progenics Pharmaceuticals and Elan Corporation.
What partnering opportunities are available for QS-21?

For more information about partnering opportunities, please contact Business Development.

White paper: Advent of the Adjuvant
QS-21 references
QS-21 news
Partnered programs
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[asics01]

What are heat shock proteins and how do they work?

Heat shock proteins (HSPs), also called stress proteins, are a group of proteins that are present in all cells in all life forms. They are induced when a cell undergoes various types of environmental stresses like heat, cold and oxygen deprivation.
What is the immune system?

Heat shock proteins are also present in cells under perfectly normal conditions. They act like ‘chaperones,’ making sure that the cell’s proteins are in the right shape and in the right place at the right time. For example, HSPs help new or distorted proteins fold into shape, which is essential for their function. They also shuttle proteins from one compartment to another inside the cell, and transport old proteins to ‘garbage disposals’ inside the cell. Heat shock proteins are also believed to play a role in the presentation of pieces of proteins (or peptides) on the cell surface to help the immune system recognize diseased cells.


Learn more about our investigational products based on HSP technology:

Oncophage for cancer

AG-707 for genital herpes

What do heat shock proteins have to do with cancer?

For decades it has been known that animals can be ‘vaccinated’ against cancer. This is how it works: Tumor cells can be weakened, or attenuated, and injected like a vaccine into a mouse. Afterwards, if these same tumor cells, at full strength, are injected into the mouse, the mouse will reject the tumor cells and cancer will not develop. However, if a mouse has not been vaccinated in this manner, the tumor cells will ‘take’ and the mouse will develop cancer.

Although it was clear that animals could be vaccinated against cancer, for a long time it was not known how it worked. Then about 25 years ago, a graduate student named Pramod Srivastava began a series of experiments. He took tumor cells, broke them open, and separated the different parts of the cells into fractions. He then used each of the fractions as ‘vaccines’ to see which fraction protected the mice from developing cancer. After many experiments, he found that the element responsible for protecting the mice was heat shock proteins. [More]
How are heat shock proteins involved in generating immune response?

Heat shock proteins trigger immune response through activities that occur both inside the cell (intracellular) and outside the cell (extracellular).
Intracellular activities

Because of the normal functions of heat shock proteins inside the cell (such as helping proteins fold, preparing proteins for disposal, etc.), HSPs end up binding virtually every protein made within the cell. This means that at any given time, HSPs can be found inside the cell bound to a wide array of peptides that represent a ‘library’ of all the proteins inside the cell. This library contains normal peptides that are found in all cells as well as abnormal peptides that are only found in sick cells.
Journals in which HSP research has been published
Research suggests that inside the cell, heat shock proteins take the peptides and hand them over to another group of molecules. These other molecules take the abnormal peptides that are found only in sick cells and move them from inside the cell to outside on the cell’s surface. When the abnormal peptides are displayed in this way, they act as red flags, warning the immune system that the cell has become sick. These abnormal peptides are called antigens — a term that describes any substance capable of triggering an immune response.
Extracellular activities

Heat shock proteins are normally found inside cells. When they are found outside the cell, it indicates that a cell has become so sick that it has died and spilled out all of its contents. This kind of messy, unplanned death is called necrosis, and only occurs when something is very wrong with the cell. Extracellular HSPs are one of the most powerful ways of sending a ‘danger signal’ to the immune system in order to generate a response that can help to get rid of an infection or disease. [More]
How does Antigenics’ heat shock protein technology work?

Antigenics’ heat shock protein technology works by mimicking the ‘danger signal’ believed to be naturally triggered by extracellular HSPs. Depending on the abnormal peptides contained within the HSP-associated ‘library’ of proteins that have spilled out of the cell, the immune system can be activated to target different cancers and certain infectious agents.

Antigenics’ investigational personalized cancer vaccine Oncophage® (vitespen; formerly HSPPC-96) consists of HSP-peptide complexes that have been isolated from individual patient’s cancer cells. Because cancer is so incredibly variable, the abnormal peptides found within diseased cells are different from cancer to cancer and from person to person. Therefore, this library of abnormal peptides is unique to each individual’s disease and can be thought of as the cancer’s ‘fingerprint.’

When the vaccine is injected into the body, the fingerprint of HSP-peptide complexes can directly encounter the immune system’s cells, which is designed to stimulate the immune cells to target cancer cells bearing this fingerprint. [More]

Read our white paper on heat shock proteins.
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[asics01]

nicht schlecht 42% gestern

[asics01]

AGEN geht wieder ab wie schmitz katze

[asics01]

Data From Investigator-Sponsored Trial of Oncophage® Cancer Vaccine in Glioma Presented at American Association of Neurological Surgeons ANNUAL MEETING
Oncophage Vaccination Associated With Significant Tumor-Specific Immune Response in All 12 Patients
WASHINGTON, DC – April 16, 2007 – Antigenics Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN) today announced an oral presentation of updated data from a Phase 1/2 investigator-sponsored trial of the company’s investigational cancer vaccine Oncophage® (vitespen) in recurrent, high-grade glioma at the 75th annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS; abstract #606). Preliminary results from the study, being conducted at the Brain Tumor Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, showed that Oncophage vaccination was associated with significant tumor-specific immune response in all 12 treated patients from baseline (P < .001), as determined using three separate immune response assessments. Of the 12 patients treated, four continue to receive Oncophage and eight have completed treatment and are evaluable for overall survival. Seven of these eight evaluable patients have exceeded the historical median benchmark of 6.5 months survival from time of recurrence.

“In this trial we have observed a correlation between immune response as a result of Oncophage vaccination and potential clinical benefit,” said Andrew T. Parsa, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the department of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, and recipient of the 2007 Young Investigator Award at AANS. “Understanding that the patients in this trial represent the most challenging patient population to treat, we are highly encouraged by the prolonged improvement in overall survival compared with historical controls.”

Commenting on the paper presented at AANS, Henry Brem, MD, director of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, noted, “This is an encouraging study of a therapeutic cancer vaccine that targets multiple tumor antigens, supported by rigorous immunomonitoring. A larger Phase 2 trial is certainly warranted to evaluate efficacy.” Dr. Brem is a developer of Gliadel® Wafer (polifeprosan 20 with carmustine implant, MGI Pharma), the first approved local therapy for glioma.

Derived from each individual’s tumor, Oncophage contains the ‘antigenic fingerprint’ of the patient’s particular cancer and is designed to reprogram the body’s immune system to target only cancer cells bearing this fingerprint. Oncophage is intended to leave healthy tissue unaffected and limit the debilitating side effects typically associated with traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Oncophage has been granted fast track and orphan drug designations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in both metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.

Study Findings
The investigator-sponsored Phase 1/2 study is designed to evaluate the feasibility, safety and activity of Oncophage vaccination in patients with recurrent, high-grade glioma. The trial involves two cohorts of six patients, both receiving a minimum of four Oncophage injections: the first cohort receives biweekly vaccinations; the second cohort receives weekly vaccinations. Patients are monitored for immune response before and after Oncophage treatment using three different techniques.

According to investigators, no adverse events or toxicity identified were considered attributable to the vaccine. A tumor-specific immune response was detected after vaccination in all 12 patients. The investigators will continue to follow patients for overall survival. Researchers plan to present further results from the Phase 1/2 trial of Oncophage in late 2007 and submit the findings for peer-review publication. Based on these results, the Phase 2 portion of this study is expected to move forward in mid-2007.

“Our goal is to change the management of recurrent glioma from a life threatening disease, in which survival rates are typically 25 to 26 weeks, into a chronic disease with extended survival and improved quality of life for patients,” said Dr. Parsa. “Although our survival data are encouraging, a larger Phase 2 study will be required to determine the benefit of Oncophage for patients with recurrent glioma. The consistent, tumor-specific immune response seen in these patients suggests that in the right patient population, Oncophage could have a significant impact.”

About Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
Glioma is a cancer affecting the central nervous system that begins in glial cells (connective tissue cells that surround and support nerve cells). Malignant glioma is currently a fatal disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that 20,500 malignant tumors of the brain or spinal cord will be diagnosed during 2007 in the United States, and that about 12,740 people will die from these tumors. Brain and spinal cord tumors account for about 1 percent of all cancers and 2 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

About UCSF
UCSF is a leading university that consistently defines health care worldwide by conducting advanced biomedical research, educating graduate students in the life sciences, and providing complex patient care. For more information, please visit www.ucsf.edu.

About Antigenics
Antigenics (NASDAQ: AGEN) is a biotechnology company working to develop treatments for cancers and infectious diseases. The company’s investigational product portfolio includes Oncophage® (vitespen), a patient-specific therapeutic cancer vaccine being evaluated in several indications; Aroplatin™ (L-NDDP), a liposomal, third-generation platinum chemotherapeutic; AG-707, a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of genital herpes; and QS-21, an adjuvant being evaluated by Antigenics’ corporate partners in several late-stage clinical trials. For more information, please visit www.antigenics.com.

This press release contains forward-looking information, including statements regarding the potential safety and activity of Oncophage in patients with glioma, publication plans and future clinical trials. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk that a small investigator-sponsored study in 12 patients is not representative of what will be shown in larger trials that could support registration; and the factors described under Factors That May Impact Future Results in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section of Antigenics’ Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2007. Antigenics cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only as of the date of this document, and Antigenics undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Antigenics’ business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those identified above. When evaluating Antigenics’ business and securities, investors should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.




CONTACTS
Media: Sunny Uberoi, 212.994.8206 or 917.443.3325
Investors: Robert Anstey, 800.962.2436


Products & Technologies | Clinical Trials | Newsroom | Investors | Jobs | About Antigenics
Copyright © 2006 Antigenics Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy

[Crazy777]

Schaut euch mal Favrille an.
Die präsentieren heute eine neue Studie http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2007-04/artikel-…

Die könnten heute uach noch 20-30 % steigen!

[loseit]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 28.839.227 von asics01 am 16.04.07 16:25:08

Wird der Kurs nach unten manipuliert? - Das ist ja ein dramatisches Dahinschmelzen der Gewinne...

Dabei hatte ich gehofft, dass die überragenden Ergebnisse der 12-Personen-Studie zu einem Abkoppeln von der Entwicklung von DNDN führen würden - leider nicht aufgegangen...

Seid Ihr raus, oder wartet Ihr ab? -

Ich bleibe wohl long, obwohl sich mein (seltener) Gewinn gerade pulverisiert

[asics01]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 28.924.125 von loseit am 20.04.07 19:29:05

hallo loseit
der rücksetzer ist schon heftig aber ich bleibe auf jeden fall dabei, und habe heute in usa noch mal gekauft die storie stimmt. bei AGEN und CEGE ist es momentan so die hängen am tropf von DNDN.ich lass die noch 1-2jahre sitzen und dann wird geerntet.

[asics01]

Oncophage® Cancer Vaccine Significantly Prolongs Recurrence-Free Survival by 45 Percent in Patients With Intermediate-Risk Kidney Cancer
Overall Survival Improvement Also Observed in Intermediate-Risk Kidney Cancer Patients Who Received Oncophage
Antigenics Presents Updated Phase 3 Results at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting
Conference Call To Be Held Today at 1:30 p.m. ET
Listen to webcast of the conference call

ANAHEIM, CA — May 21, 2007 — Antigenics Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN) today announced additional follow-up data on the company’s Phase 3 investigational therapeutic cancer vaccine Oncophage® (vitespen). The end-of-study results, which reflect an additional 17 months’ data collection, showed that in a substantial subset of patients (n = 362) at intermediate risk for disease recurrence, Oncophage demonstrated a clinically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival (RFS) of approximately 45 percent (P < 0.01; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.55). In addition, updated analysis in this group of patients revealed a new potential benefit associated with Oncophage treatment: for intermediate-risk patients there was a trend towards improved overall survival, the study’s secondary endpoint. Furthermore, the positive overall survival trend observed to date correlates with the RFS improvement demonstrated in previous analyses. This is the largest, randomized Phase 3 kidney cancer trial ever completed in the adjuvant treatment setting.

Christopher G. Wood, MD, associate professor of urology at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, presented the Phase 3 end-of-study results at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA; abstract #633).

“These results continue to underscore the significant potential benefit of Oncophage in a well-defined, clinically and biologically relevant subset of patients who are the most appropriate candidates for cancer vaccines,” said Dr. Wood. “In addition, there are currently no approved therapies for these patients, which represent a growing and significant population due to increased use of early detection techniques.”

“We are particularly encouraged to see that the clinically significant trend observed from our earlier analysis has been strengthened by the updated data from an additional 17-month follow-up of patients,” said Garo H. Armen, PhD, chairman and CEO of Antigenics. “Although there are challenges associated with interpretation of subset analyses, the improvement demonstrated in this group of patients supports the opinion of key experts that patients with better prognostic factors are the most appropriate population to benefit from therapeutic cancer vaccines. Combined with decades of preclinical and clinical cancer vaccine data, we believe our results provide a higher level of reliability than that generally associated with outcomes from typical subset analyses.”

Study Findings

ECOG Staging and RFS Outcome
(click to enlarge)
Results from the investigator-reported data, which represented all data collected through the end of study (March 31, 2007), showed that:

Patients receiving Oncophage in the intermediate-risk population (stages I/II high-grade, III T1/2/3a low-grade) who were without disease at baseline (n = 362) demonstrated a clinically significant improvement in recurrence-free survival of approximately 45 percent
(P < 0.01; HR = 0.55). This patient population is defined by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) as at intermediate risk for disease recurrence*. Although the median survival has not yet been reached, results from the 25th percentile indicate that recurrence-free survival was extended by approximately 1.8 years in the Oncophage arm.
Analysis of overall survival showed improvement associated with Oncophage in the intermediate-risk population. As of data cut-off on January 2, 2006, one additional patient had died in the Oncophage arm versus 13 patients in the observation arm. This now brings the total reported deaths to 15 patients (8.2 percent) in the Oncophage arm compared with 25 deaths (14.0 percent) in the observation arm. The overall survival data are still immature due to the small number of deaths that have occurred to date; patients will continue to be monitored for survival through a global patient registry.
Among all eligible patients (intermediate- and high-risk patients without baseline disease; n = 604), Oncophage was associated with an 11.4 percent improvement in recurrence-free survival, which was not statistically significant (HR = 0.89).
There was also a promising trend for overall survival associated with Oncophage in the eligible patient population
(n = 604). As of data cut-off on January 2, 2006, 24 additional deaths have been reported, with six in the Oncophage arm and 18 in the observation arm, bringing the total to 37 (12.3 percent) and 40 (13.2 percent) deaths, respectively.
Adverse events reported during the trial were generally mild and expected. The more frequently reported adverse events were mainly constitutional in nature or related to the actual injection.
The company is working with study investigators to publish the final findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Antigenics To Continue To Follow Patients for Recurrence-Free Survival and Overall Survival Through a Global Patient Registry
A global patient registry is being launched to continue collecting data on all patients from the trial for recurrence-free survival and overall survival. The registry, which is expected to provide additional data on the effectiveness of Oncophage, will follow patients for an additional three years from closure of the initial trial, providing more than five years’ worth of data collection from the last patient enrolled.

Global Registrational Strategy
Antigenics intends to seek a meeting with US Food and Drug Administration to discuss the results of the updated analyses utilizing data through March 2007 to determine whether there is an opportunity to file a biologics license application (BLA) on the basis of these results along with appropriate commitments to conduct further clinical investigations to support the efficacy of Oncophage in renal cell carcinoma. Antigenics also plans to explore the need for further clinical studies to support approval of Oncophage in ex-US markets.

Conference Call Information
Antigenics executives and Dr. Christopher Wood will host a conference call at 1:30 pm ET today. To access the live call, dial 888.271.9082 (domestic) or 706.679.7741 (international); the access code is 9197359. The call will also be webcast and will be accessible from the company’s website at www.antigenics.com/webcast/. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the call through midnight ET on June 4, 2007. The replay number is 800.642.1687 (domestic) or 706.645.9291 (international), and the access code is 9197359. The replay will also be available on the company’s website approximately two hours after the live call.

About Renal Cell Carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be approximately 51,190 new cases of kidney cancer in the United States in 2007, and about 12,890 people will die from the disease. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for about 90 percent of all kidney tumors. By the time renal cell carcinoma is diagnosed in these patients, about one third of them will have developed metastatic disease.

The current standard of care for patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma consists of a nephrectomy (surgical removal of the kidney) followed by observation. There is no treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma at the present time.

*Haas N. Update on targeted therapy adjuvant trials (ECOG/MRC). Paper presented at: Fifth International Symposium of the Kidney Cancer Association, 2006; Chicago.

About Antigenics
Antigenics (NASDAQ: AGEN) is a biotechnology company working to develop treatments for cancers and infectious diseases. The company’s investigational product portfolio includes Oncophage® (vitespen), a patient-specific therapeutic cancer vaccine being evaluated in several indications; Aroplatin™ (L-NDDP), a liposomal, third-generation platinum chemotherapeutic; AG-707, a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of genital herpes; and QS-21, an adjuvant being evaluated by Antigenics’ corporate partners in more than twenty indications, several in late-stage clinical trials. For more information, please visit antigenics.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential clinical benefit of Oncophage in kidney cancer based on a subgroup analysis; the planned future data to be collected and analyzed in connection with the future development of Oncophage; and potential strategies for pursuing the registration of Oncophage. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, unfavorable data resulting from further analysis of the Oncophage Phase 3 Part 1 trial data; retention of key employees; the risk that survival data from patients that withdrew from the study or were lost to follow-up may not be available for collection or review, or that future survival data from patient monitoring may not support further development or registration of Oncophage; decisions by regulatory agencies; the ability to raise capital and finance future development of Oncophage; and the factors described under Factors That May Impact Future Results in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations section of Antigenics’ Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2007. Antigenics cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These statements speak only as of the date of this document, and Antigenics undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Antigenics’ business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those identified above. When evaluating Antigenics’ business and securities, investors should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.


CONTACTS
Media: Sunny Uberoi, 212.994.8206 or 917.443.3325
Investors: Robert Anstey, 800.962.2436


Products & Technologies | Clinical Trials | Newsroom | Investors | Jobs | About Antigenics
Copyright © 2007 Antigenics Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy