Oncolytic improvements

The use of oncolytic viruses as cancer therapeutics has been hampered by immunogenicity, limiting their use to indications amenable to intratumoral injections. ViraTherapeutics GmbH is developing a chimeric oncolytic virus that has so far been shown to be non-immunogenic, thus potentially opening up new indications for the modality.

According to co-founder, CEO and CSO Dorothee Holm-von Laer, most oncolytic viruses face immunogenicity issues. In some instances, she said, a significant portion of the population has a natural immunity to the virus or the virus triggers the production of neutralizing antibodies, which prevents systemic administration of the virus and can reduce the anti-tumor effect upon repeat administration. ...