# Algenpantucel-L

Source: https://onco.cc/drugs/algenpantucel-l/  
OnCo record `algenpantucel-l` (Treatment). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Algenpantucel-L was a whole-cell pancreatic cancer vaccine given after surgery; the phase 3 IMPRESS trial showed no survival benefit.

## Summary

NewLink Genetics designed algenpantucel-L to exploit hyperacute rejection, the reaction that destroys pig organs in humans. A phase 2 study after pancreatic cancer surgery reported encouraging survival, which led to the largest adjuvant vaccine trial in the disease.

IMPRESS randomised 722 patients with resected pancreatic cancer to standard adjuvant gemcitabine with or without chemoradiation, with or without algenpantucel-L. Overall survival was not improved, and a second phase 3 in borderline resectable and locally advanced disease (PILLAR) was also negative.

## Fields

- Kind: Treatment
- Status: negative
- Last checked: 2026-09-17
- Also known as: HyperAcute Pancreas
- Code: HyperAcute Pancreas
- Modality: Allogeneic whole-cell vaccine expressing alpha-gal
- Mechanism: Irradiated pancreatic cancer cell lines engineered to express alpha-1,3-galactosyl, a sugar humans lack, so pre-existing anti-alpha-gal antibodies attack the vaccine cells and, in theory, train immunity against shared tumour antigens.

## Sources

- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01072981: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01072981

## Connected records

- cancers: [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic/)
- technologies: [Off-the-shelf cancer vaccines](https://onco.cc/technologies/shared-antigen-vaccine/)
- companies: [NewLink Genetics (now Lumos Pharma)](https://onco.cc/companies/newlink-genetics/)
- terms: [Cancer vaccines and oncolytic viruses](https://onco.cc/terms/vaccines-and-oncolytic-viruses/)
- trials: [IMPRESS (algenpantucel-L)](https://onco.cc/trials/impress-trial/)

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