Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2) is essential target for tumor angiogenesis, and VEGFR2-169 induces specific Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) against VEGFR2 expressed targets. VEGFR2-169 shows strong anti-tumor effects restricted to HLA-A*2402 in vitro, and this peptide induces CTL from cancer patients. 60% in Japanese population have HLA-A*2402. VEGFR2-169 is suitable for clinical trial, and gemcitabine has been approved against pancreatic cancer. Gemcitabine is reported to improve immune-response, therefore synergistic effect between vaccine therapy and chemotherapy will be expected. In this clinical trial, we evaluate the safety, tolerability and immune response of different doses of VEGFR2-169 emulsified with Montanide ISA 51 in combination with gemcitabine and to determine the recommended phase II dose of peptide.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immune response of different doses of VEGFR2-169 emulsified with Montanide ISA 51 in combination with gemcitabine and to determine the recommended phase II dose.