Prima adds veteran oncologist to advisory board

Prima BioMed (ASX:PRR) has appointed gynaecological oncologist Dr Bradley Monk to its clinical advisory board.

In his new role, Dr Monk will help guide the company through the clinical development of cancer vaccine CVac for the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Dr Monk is a member of the steering committees for the National Cancer Institute and the Gynecological Oncology Group, and has served as principal investigator for dozens of ovarian cancer clinical trials.

He currently serves as a professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine and a director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Arizona.

Prima CEO Matthew Lehman said Monk is “one of the most recognised and experienced researchers in ovarian cancer today”.

Prima BioMed is preparing for a phase II trial of CVac versus standard-of-care in 210 epithelial ovarian cancer patients in second-line remission. The company secured the first national regulatory approval for the multinational trial last month.

A separate pilot trial of CVac in 40 pancreatic cancer patients is due to commence shortly. The trial will assess overall survival, progression-fee survival, adverse events and immune and biomarker monitoring.

Prima BioMed separately announced it had narrowed its net loss for 1H14 by 25.8% to $5.9 million. The company ended the period in strong financial position, its half-year report states, with over $28.6 million in cash and term deposits.

Favourable foreign exchange rates, a reduction in R&D expenses and grants from the R&D tax incentive program all contributed to the lower loss.

Prima BioMed (ASX:PRR) shares were trading 2.17% higher at $0.047 as of around 2 pm on Thursday.