Vaccines Treatment Options in New Jersey

The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose compared to standard dose Fluzone for laboratory-confirmed or culture-confirmed influenza caused by influenza types/subtypes that are similar (for laboratory-confirmed) or antigenically similar (for culture-confirmed) to those contained in the respective annual vaccine formulations. Primary Objective: * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to laboratory-confirmed influenza caused by any influenza viral types/subtypes, associated with the occurrence of a protocol-defined influenza-like-illnesses (ILI). Secondary Objectives: * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to laboratory-confirmed influenza, caused by any influenza viral types/subtypes, associated with the occurrence of a protocol-defined ILI. * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to culture-confirmed influenza, caused by any influenza viral types/subtypes, associated with the occurrence of a protocol-defined ILI. * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to culture-confirmed influenza caused by viral types/subtypes antigenically similar to those contained in the respective annual vaccine formulations, associated with the occurrence of a modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-defined ILI. * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to culture-confirmed influenza caused by any influenza viral types/subtypes, associated with the occurrence of a modified CDC-defined ILI. * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to culture-confirmed influenza caused by viral types/subtypes antigenically similar to those contained in the respective annual vaccine formulations, associated with the occurrence of a respiratory illness. * To compare the clinical efficacy of Fluzone High-Dose to that of Fluzone in elderly adults, with respect to culture-confirmed influenza caused by any influenza viral types/subtypes, associated with the occurrence of a respiratory illness. Read Less

This phase I trial studies the side effects and best dose of vaccine therapy given directly into the bladder in treating patients who are undergoing surgery to remove all or part of the bladder. Vaccines made from a gene-modified virus may help the body build an effective immune response to kill tumor cells. Giving a vaccine directly into the bladder before surgery may cause a stronger immune response and keep tumor cells from coming back after surgery. Read Less

RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining these two treatments may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining vaccine therapy with radiation therapy in treating patients who have stage II or stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer that has been completely removed in surgery. Read Less

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from tumor tissue may make the body build an immune response and kill tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccine therapy in treating patients who have stage III or stage IV ovarian epithelial cancer. Read Less

This randomized, parallel-group, open-label study will evaluate the effect of Actemra (tocilizumab) on vaccination in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who have an inadequate response to methotrexate and who have had an inadequate clinical response or were intolerant to treatment with one or more anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies. Read Less

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy and a combination of vaccines to treat metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast) in patients whose cancer cells have a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on their surface. Patients who require surgery or radiation therapy, or both, will receive these treatments as well. Patients 18 years of age and older with previously untreated metastatic breast cancer may be eligible for this study. Newly diagnosed patients may not have received prior chemotherapy. Patients previously diagnosed with local disease may have received chemotherapy or radiation therapy at least 18 months before entering the current study. Patients may have received hormonal therapy for stage IV disease. Candidates are screened with a medical history and physical examination, blood and urine tests, x-rays, heart and lung tests, and a test to determine the presence of CEA on their tumor cells. Participants undergo the following procedures: 1. Central venous line: Under local or general anesthesia, an intravenous catheter (plastic tube) is inserted into a major vein in the chest. It is used to give chemotherapy and other medications and to withdraw blood samples. 2. Apheresis: Before beginning treatment and at various times before and after chemotherapy, patients undergo apheresis to collect white blood cells for later re-infusion at the time of immunizations and to evaluate the body's response to the vaccines. For this procedure, blood is collected through the central venous catheter and circulated through a machine that separates the white cells from the rest of the blood. The white cells are removed and frozen for later use. The rest of the blood is returned to the patient through the catheter. 3. First vaccine: Before starting chemotherapy, patients receive one subcutaneous (under the skin) injection of a vaccine called rV-CEA-Tricom, along with subcutaneous injections of granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (Sargramostim), a drug that stimulates the bone marrow to release white blood cells and white cell precursors into the bloodstream. 4. Chemotherapy: * Taxol (paclitaxel)/Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide): Patients receive three to five cycles of Taxol and Cytoxan. Taxol is given as a continuous 72-hour intravenous (intravenous (IV), through a vein) infusion and Cytoxan is given daily for 3 days, intravenously, over 1 hour. Cycles are 21 to 42 (usually 28) days. After each cycle, patients also receive growth colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) (a drug that helps boost white cells. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and efficacy of MDX-010 (ipilimumab, BMS-734016) (anti-CTLA4) in combination with MDX-1379 (gp100, BMS-734019) in patients with previously treated, unresectable Stage III or IV melanoma. Survival time will be evaluated, as well as patient responses and time to disease progression. Eligible patients are those who in response to a single regimen containing interleukin-2 (IL-2), dacarbazine, and/or temozolomide, have 1) relapsed following an objective response (partial response/complete response \[PR/CR\]); 2) failed to demonstrate an objective response (PR/CR); or 3) could not tolerate such a regimen due to unacceptable toxicity. Patients will be randomized into one of three groups, and will receive one of the following treatments: MDX-010 alone, MDX-1379 alone, or MDX-010 in combination with MDX-1379. Read Less