Rationale for Anti-hCG Immunization in Cancer
(1) ßhCG and hCG-H are growth-stimulating cytokines; therefore, blocking tumor-produced hCG may decrease the proliferation of cancer cells and slow blood vessel growth to tumors

(2) Cancer cells use hCG and its variants to avoid being attacked by the immune system, so neutralizing tumor-produced hCG-H with antibodies should allow the immune system to attack tumors more effectively

(3) CG201 immunizations cause only negligible side effects, limited to discomfort and irritation at the injection site; therefore CG201 can be used in combination with other therapies without adding to the total side effect profile of the treatment regimen.

Tumors secrete hCG and its variants, which achieve their cancer-promoting effects by altering the balance of a variety of other hormones and cellular targets
CG201 inoculations create antibodies that neutralize all forms of hCG, thereby slowing tumor growth, reducing tumor blood supply, and diminishing tumors’ ability to evade the immune system

CG201 inoculations stimulate patients’ bodies to produce antibodies that eliminate hCG and its variants, reducing the production of substances that nourish and defend the tumor (lower panel above).

Because hCG is not needed by the adult body except by cancer cells, attacking and neutralizing hCG harms tumors but has no effect on healthy tissues. Therefore, CG201 lacks the debilitating side effects common to most conventional cancer therapies as well as many new, targeted cancer therapies and vaccines. For example, CG201 inoculations may counteract the local, cancer-related production of VEGF, the target of Avastin, without producing the serious systemic side effects of Avastin. These side effects are created when Avastin attacks VEGF elsewhere in the body, where it is needed for healthy blood vessel growth. CG201’s limited site of action in the vicinity of hCG-producing tumor cells, makes it a potentially useful co-therapy with Avastin as well as many other cancer therapies.