According to a press release from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, the biotechnology company has officially dosed the first patient in its phase 1/2 clinical trial, which will test the company’s investigational therapeutic candidate INO-3107 as a potential treatment for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare disease. Inovio is focused on the development of precise DNA medicines that treat cancer and infectious diseases.
About Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, also known as laryngeal papillomatosis, is a rare disease in which tumors form in the larynx, or voice box. These tumors, called papillomas, occur because of an infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). While these tumors are not cancerous, they can recur easily. It is more likely to occur in immunocompromised people and alongside other viral infections. There are juvenile and adult forms of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Symptoms include a change in vocal quality, hoarseness, shortness of breath, narrowing airway, coughing, pneumonia, problems swallowing, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Tumors can spread to the lungs in severe cases. There is no cure for the disease and repeated treatment is usually necessary. The primary intervention is surgery to take out the tumors, but there is a risk of complications. Other options include voice therapy, antiviral drugs, and HPV vaccines. To learn more about recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, click here.
About INO-3107
INO-3107 has previously earned Orphan Drug designation. There is a serious need for more effective therapies as most patients required repeated, periodic surgeries, which can greatly affect their quality of life. The therapy harnesses Inovio’s DNA medicines platform, which is comprised of optimized DNA plasmids. These are organized using computer sequencing in order to trigger a specific immune response.
About The Clinical Trial
The phase 1/2 trial is expected to include a total of 63 patients. These patients will have needed surgery to remove tumors a minimum of twice annually for the last three years. In the trial, the participants will first undergo surgery to remove their tumors and then be treated four times with INO-3107, receiving a dose every three weeks. The primary endpoint in this trial will be at least doubling the time between surgeries after the first dose of treatment.
