Oncolytics announces interim data from REOLYSIN translational clinical trial in metastatic colorectal cancer

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ("Oncolytics") (TSX: ONC) (NASDAQ: ONCY) today announced interim data from a U.K. translational clinical trial (REO 013) investigating intravenous administration of REOLYSIN in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer prior to surgical resection of liver metastases. The principal investigator of the study was Professor Alan Melcher of Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds, UK.

The trial was an open-label, non-randomized, single centre study of REOLYSIN given intravenously to patients for five consecutive days in advance of their scheduled operations to remove colorectal cancer deposits metastatic to the liver. Patients were treated with intravenous REOLYSIN at 1x10¹⁰ TCID₅₀, one to three weeks prior to planned surgery. After surgery, the tumour and surrounding liver tissue were assessed for viral status and anti-tumour effects.

On initial histological analysis of the 10 treated patients to date, there was evidence of selective delivery of virus to tumour versus normal liver and viral replication in the majority (seven) of patients. In two patients, only necrotic tumour was found; in one of these cases virus was detected in immune cells in the tumour. In six of 10 patients there was no evidence of virus in the normal liver surrounding the tumour, with virus found only rarely in liver cells in the other four patients. Final and complete results from the study are expected to be presented in 2011.

"These data suggest reovirus can be intravenously administered as a monotherapy and successfully delivered specifically and selectively to colorectal liver metastases without affecting surrounding normal liver tissue," said Dr. Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics. "Based on these results, we are now planning a further translational study co-administering reovirus with FOLFIRI (Folinic Acid (leucovorin) + Fluorouracil (5-FU) + Irinotecan), which would further build our knowledge of how to maximize the efficacy of this novel therapy in cancer patients.  This study would be complementary to our ongoing Phase I study of REOLYSIN in combination with FOLFIRI in patients with oxaliplatin refractory/intolerant Kras mutant colorectal cancer."