23 May 2013 - 23 May 2013 - US biotech group Agenus Inc (NASDAQ:AGEN) said Wednesday it had begun enrolling patients for a Phase II trial of its Prophage G-200 vaccine plus Swiss Roche's (VTX:ROG) Avastin (bevacizumab) in adults with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

The randomised study will examine the efficacy of Prophage G-200 (Heat Shock Protein Peptide Complex-96 or HSPPC-96) vaccine plus bevacizumab in 222 participants with surgically resectable recurrent GBM, versus bevacizumab alone. The primary objective is overall survival.

The trial is partially backed by prior research suggesting a potential synergistic effect between the mechanisms of action behind both HSPPC-96 and bevacizumab.