January 17, 2008 - The U.S. National Cancer Institute is sponsoring a Phase I/II clinical trial that is expected to start in 2008 for patients with metastatic ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancers using Oncolytics' proprietary formulation of the human reovirus, called REOLYSIN.
The reovirus, a naturally occurring virus that does not cause disease in humans, has demonstrated strong anti-cancer activity against many types of cancer cells, including ovarian cancer cells.
"When the reovirus enters cancer cells, it produces thousands of copies of itself, causing the cell to burst," explained Dr. Brad Thompson, CEO of Oncolytics Biotech. But the reovirus can replicate only in cancer cells with mutations along a signaling pathway in the cell called the Ras pathway, while leaving normal cells unharmed. Approximately two thirds of all human cancers express this particular mutation and are therefore a potential target for REOLYSIN treatment.
The clinical trial is being carried out at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and is expected to enroll up to 70 patients with metastatic ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancers.
For more information: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.