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U.S. National Institutes of Health
Cancer Diagnosis Program Cancer Imaging Program Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Developmental Therapeutics Program Radiation Research Program Translational Research Program Biometric Research Branch Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Last Updated: 04/25/2012

SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES

Sipuleucel-T (Provenge®)

Sipuleucel-T is a therapeutic vaccine developed to treat prostate cancer. A patient’s dendritic cells are isolated and pulsed with a peptide (PAP-GM-CSF fusion protein) derived from prostatic acid phosphatase. Then the modified dendritic cells are administered back to the patient. This vaccine was considered first-in-class as it was created to treat prostate cancer, whereas most vaccines are developed to build immunity to prevent disease. In the case of sipuleucel-T, the immune system is stimulated to attack the tumor and thereby prolong survival. Sipuleucel-T was developed as a result of a public-private partnership with partial government grant support (National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group headed by Dr. Ronald Levy) that fostered a collaborative research project between Stanford University (Dr. Edgar G. Engleman) and the Dendreon Corporation, Seattle, WA (Dr. Reiner Laus). Provenge received FDA approval on April 29, 2010.