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 [...]
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) [...]
There will be an abstract presented at the Upcoming (May 31- June 3) American Society of Clinical Oncologist Annual Meeting (ASCO) providing very preliminary data on a clinical trial combing Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) and enzalutamide (Xtandi) in men with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This rational for conducting this trial is the lack of cross [...]
Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) has shown in clinical trials that it prolongs overall survival (OS) in asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic men with castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Unlike many other treatments for men with CRPC there are not any reliable biomarkers to show that it is working for any individual. There is also a lack of markers [...]
The first line of treatment for advanced prostate cancer is Androgen (male hormone) Deprivation Therapy or ADT. Once the PSA progresses (climbs) while still on ADT and with testosterone levels
More on Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) from the 2013 The last two abstracts that I want to speak about that were presented at the conference that pertained to Provenge speak to its efficacy. The first looks at changes in circulating tumor cells (CTC) and the second to the onset of the use of opioid painkillers. Abstract #40 [...]
Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) is FDA approved after a man becomes castrate resistant. In clinical trials it has shown that it extends life when compared to placebo. The use of Provenge has raised many questions, the two most common ones are why PSA and disease progression continues while receiving this treatment (see post at for an explanation) [...]
I have written much about the need to begin studies of both timing and combining of the many new treatments we have recently developed for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. With the FDA approval of Provenge, Zytiga, Jevtana, Xtandi and hopefully in the near future Radium-223 Dichloride (Alpharadin) we have many new treatment options [...]
One of the constant complaints I hear fro men with advanced prostate cancer that has become castrate resistant about Provenge (sipuleucel-T) is that the anticipated increase in overall survival is only 4.1 months and given the cost of $93,000 for the three infusions many men feel that cost does not justify the survival benefit. My [...]
Today, May 16, 2012, Dendreon, the makers of Provenge, disclosed a new analysis of data of its pivotal 512-patient study of men with castrate resistant prostate cancer who received sipuleucel-T (Provenge). The new analysis separated the men in the study into four quartiles based on their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) scores. The initial design of the [...]
