The following was posted on the Malecare Advanced Prostate Cancer Health Unlocked online support group. I have received permission to reprint it here because it might be helpful to some of you. FYI- Provenge is a cancer vaccine that helps to mobilize your own immune system to your prostate cancer. It is currently only [...]
Provenge, despite its demonstrated survival advantage, continues to be knocked as a viable treatment for men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer. What is Provenge? Provenge is immunotherapy for men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. In other words, Provenge might help men live longer after their cancer has spread outside of the prostate and are no [...]
Despite its approval five years ago sipuleucel-T (Provenge) remains one of the most controversial treatments available for men with castrate resistant metastatic prostate cancer (mCRPC). Provenge has its advocates (Full Disclosure- I am) and it has many detractors. The detractors argue that it doesn’t work and they hang their hat on the argument that it [...]
It was announced today that preliminary results from the Phase II STAND trial demonstrates continued and what is described as a robust immune response with Provenge (sipuleucel-T) that continues two years after completing treatment in men with biochemically-recurrent prostate cancer (BRPC). This finding, along with data from the ongoing Phase IV registry PROCEED trial, are [...]
Dendreon, the manufacture of the only FDA approved immunologic therapy for prostate cancer had been burdened with significant debt. The debt came from their R&D of Provenge, their seeking FDA approval and the construction of three manufacturing plants to produce the treatment. Sadly, the company was unable to get its income ahead of its debt [...]
It was announced this morning that Dendreon (the manufactures of Provenge) has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. After having spoken with a representative at Dendreon I have learned that the company has been in negotiations with its creditors and agreed to voluntarily file for financial reorganization. The agreement that Dendreon has reached with their [...]
A recent announcement stated that Dendreon’s immunotherapy Provenge (sipuleucel-T) is too expensive to be used as a treatment for advanced prostate cancer under the National Health Service in England. In preliminary draft guidelines out this morning, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has rejected the drug’s use to treat men with metastatic prostate [...]
Somehow I have been negligent and not let people know that I have written and posted a major update of my “Guide to Advanced Prostate Cancer.” As in the past, it is available as a free download from the Malecare web site. Helping me to update the book was prostate cancer survivor Craig Pynn and [...]
Provenge or Sipuleucel-T (sip-T) remains not well understood by many prostate cancer survivors as well as some treating physicians. Because Provenge does not immediately control PSA or disease progression it creates a situation where some individuals are skeptical as to its efficacy. This is true despite the clear survival advantage demonstrated in clinical trials. This [...]
Last April there was some preliminary data from the long-term Phase II STAND study presented at 29th Annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress that showed that sipuleucel-T (Provenge) when given after the start of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) seemed to enhance and sustain the immune response in men with a biochemical failure (PSA only) [...]
