• Adaptimmune Ltd., of Oxford, UK, said abstracts published in Blood reported encouraging preliminary results from an early phase study using patients' own T cells that have been genetically altered to attack multiple myeloma cells. The single-arm, open-label extension study is designed to test the safety, bioactivity and antitumor effects of the infusion of those T cells, which were genetically altered to express cancer testis antigens NY-ESO-1 and LAGE-1. The initial six patients have completed a minimum six-month follow-up, and the study has been extended to a target enrollment of 26 patients. To date, infusion of the modified T cells has been well tolerated.

• Celldex Therapeutics Inc., of Needham, Mass., presented three-year survival data from the Phase II rindopepimut program in EGFRvIII-positive glioblastoma (GBM) patients at the Society for Neuro-Oncology's annual meeting in Washington. Across three studies, the firm said, survival data remained consistent and suggested a substantial and continuing benefit in comparison to independent control datasets at the median and at three years. In the Phase II ACT III study, the median overall survival is 24.6 months from diagnosis (21.8 months from study entry) and overall survival is 26 percent at three years. In the ACT II study, the median overall survival is 24.4 months from diagnosis (20.5 months from study entry) and overall survival is 23 percent at three years. And in the ACTIVATE study, the median overall survival is 24.6 months from diagnosis (20.4 months from study entry), with overall survival of 33 percent at three years. Rindopepimut, an immunotherapy candidate, is designed to target the EGFRvIII mutation, which shows up in about a third of GBM patients and is linked to cancer growth and overall poor prognosis.

• CytoDyn Inc., of Portland, Ore., said it entered a clinical trial agreement with the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine to conduct additional Phase II studies of PRO 140, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor for treating HIV infection. That agreement will allow the university to proceed with two National Institutes of Health-funded Phase IIb trials, totaling about $10 million. One study will explore the combined effect of PRO 140 and current highly active antiretroviral therapies on circulating virus levels in HIV-infected subjects, while the second will test the effect of different doses and dosing schedules of PRO 140 alone on circulating virus levels in drug-naïve HIV-infected patients. The second trial also will measure the effect of the drug on levels of CD17 cells, a subset of CD4 cells that are thought to control inflammation.

• Pozen Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., said results from a Phase I study demonstrated that PA8140, its combination of aspirin (81 mg) and omeprazole (40 mg) had comparable bioavailability relative to the reference listed product, enteric-coated (EC) aspirin (81 mg). Based on predetermined criteria acceptable to the FDA, the study also demonstrated that the product is bioequivalent to EC aspirin using criteria for highly variable drugs. Pozen said it has now completed all the clinical trials intended for inclusion in a new drug application package, targeted for submission no later than the end of April 2013.