Belagenpumatucel-L (Lucanix)

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Mechanism of action

From the NCI Drug Dictionary: A transforming growth factor beta2 (TGF-beta2) antisense gene-modified allogeneic tumor cell vaccine with potential immunostimulatory and antineoplastic activities. Belagenpumatucel-L is prepared by transfecting allogeneic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells with a plasmid containing a TGF-beta2 antisense transgene, expanding the cells, and then irradiating and freezing them. Upon administration, this agent may elicit a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against host NSCLC cells, resulting in decreased tumor cell proliferation; vaccine immunogenicity may be potentiated by suppression of tumor TGF-beta2 production by antisense RNA expressed by the vaccine plasmid TGF-beta2 antisense transgene.

Preliminary data

Non-small cell lung cancer

  1. Giaccone G, Bazhenova LA, Nemunaitis J, Tan M, Juhász E, Ramlau R, van den Heuvel MM, Lal R, Kloecker GH, Eaton KD, Chu Q, Dunlop DJ, Jain M, Garon EB, Davis CS, Carrier E, Moses SC, Shawler DL, Fakhrai H. A phase III study of belagenpumatucel-L, an allogeneic tumour cell vaccine, as maintenance therapy for non-small cell lung cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2015 Nov;51(16):2321-9. Epub 2015 Aug 14. link to original article PubMed

Also known as

  • Brand name: Lucanix