Battling The Deadliest Cancers -- All In a Day’s Work For Harmless Virus

Sarcoma.  Melanoma.  Glioma.  Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are told by their doctors that they have these and other life-threatening cancers and that there are few effective alternatives.  That was the same news that was delivered to Kenneth Scott.

A small, Canadian biotechnology company is trying to change the outcome for these patients including Mr. Scott, by using a harmless reovirus (trademarked REOLYSIN®), which can kill approximately two-thirds of all cancer cells.  Results from early-stage trials have shown that the reovirus is able to infect and kill cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed.  Side effects have included mild flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and chills that generally disappear after a few hours.

In the past year alone in the U.S., Oncolytics Biotech Inc. released positive results from a Phase I Reolysin trial that treated 18 patients with a variety of advanced or metastatic cancers, while also started patient enrolment in a Phase I/II brain cancer trial and a Phase II sarcoma trial at various hospital sites in the U.S.  The U.S. National Cancer Institute is also interested in the cancer-killing ability of the reovirus and is funding two trials with Reolysin, starting with a Phase II melanoma trial and a Phase I/II ovarian cancer trial. Both of these trials are expected to get underway this year. 

When Reolysin is introduced to the body, it replicates in cancer cells that have a common mutation known as an activated Ras pathway. In a Ras-activated cancer cell, the reovirus replicates and eventually kills the host tumor cell. The death of the cancer cell frees thousands of progeny viruses that proceed to infect and kill adjacent cancer cells. This process is believed to continue until all cancer cells with activated Ras pathways have been infected and killed by the reovirus.

Recent studies also indicate that Reolysin works synergistically with standard anti-cancer drugs, providing significantly stronger responses than either agent alone.  Researchers in the United Kingdom are already investigating Reolysin in two separate clinical trials in combination with standard chemo drugs against advanced cancers.

Brad Thompson, Oncolytics’ CEO, would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you this novel approach to treating some of the deadliest cancers. Dr. Monica Mita, from the Cancer Therapy and Research Center in San Antonio, TX would also be available to comment. For further information.