A newly released cancer vaccine which reportedly doubles the survival time of people with brain tumor also boosted its producer’s shares on Monday trading. The vaccine is produced by Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc and licensed by Pfizer Inc, which paid big bucks for marketing rights.

The two companies released data demonstrating that the CDX-110 vaccine more than doubles the overall survival time and also delays the evolution of the disease in certain brain cancer patients.

Avant shares were up $4.50 (more than 30 percent) in midday trading at $18.57. Pfizer’s shares decreased 19 cents to $19.16 a share.

The amazing results of the research determined Pfizer Inc to pay more than $400 million for rights to market the vaccine. The drug giant is in need for a big win as this year its stock is at a 10-year low.

"This is probably one of the biggest if not the biggest immunotherapy deals that has been made," Sampson said.

The data presented was from two Phase 2 studies at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago. The experimental vaccine is targeting a growth factor specific to tumors in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Glioblastoma multiforme kills 50% of its victims within a year and those who receive therapy rarely survive more than three years. With almost 10,000 new cases per year in the US, GMB is the most widespread and aggressive form of brain cancer. The most recent victim of the disease is Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy.

"Kennedy may well be a candidate. We don't know if he is interested at this point," Dr. John Sampson of Duke University, who presented the study at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, said in an interview.

Bobby Murcer, a former New York Yankees star, is already being treated with the vaccine, Reuters reported.

The specialists conducted a research on 23 patients with GMB. The subjects of the research lived, on average, 33 months. The patients who underwent only standard therapy lived on average 14 months.

"That is almost unheard of," said Sampson.

One of the 23, a woman, has gone on to have two babies, he added.