Prima BioMed is a step closer to commercialisation of its ovarian cancer vaccine, CVac, with the US Food and Drug Administration giving the go ahead on a Phase IIb trial.

This follows positive results from a Phase IIa trial conducted in Australia in 2006, with the final results announced in March 2007.

The new trial will be conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Centre in Seattle in the US and will involve 60 patients. It will seek to assess the efficacy of CVac to stimulate the patient's own immune system to target and destroy tumours.

CVac is administered post-surgery and post-chemotherapy to delay the relapse and control the metastases of the cancer.

Prima BioMed's (ASX:PRR) share price lifted 10% to $0.11 following the announcement.