Argos Therapeutics, in conjunction with DC Bio, has announced that a clinical trial for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is scheduled to begin in 2006. The trial will use the company's proprietary RNA-loaded dendritic cell vaccine technology.

This vaccine's approach differs fundamentally from other cancer vaccines, in that it targets tumor antigens unique to each patient, circumventing the difficult challenge of needing to be able to know the identity of -- and characterize -- each of those antigens. This technology is applicable to all types of cancer and allows expansion into new indications without reinventing the manufacturing process each time.

CLL is one of the most common forms of leukemia. It occurs in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies and serves important immune functions. It is estimated that approximately 9,730 patients in the U.S. will be diagnosed with CLL this year, and about 4,600 people will die of CLL during 2005.