Progenics Awarded $1.9 Million in NIH Grants for Prostate Cancer Therapies

Progenics Pharmaceuticals received grants totaling $1.9 million from the NIH to support the development of a novel antibody-drug conjugate and vaccine immunotherapies targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen.

Progenics was awarded a grant for $940,000 for a prostate-specific membrane antigen antibody-drug conjugate. The company plans to file an investigative new drug application in the first half of 2008.

NIH also awarded Progenics a $970,000 grant for translational research and initial human testing for a vaccine designed to enable a patient's own immune system to recognize and eliminate prostate cancer cells. The company expects to enter the candidate into clinical testing in the first half of 2008, Progenics said.