Reovirus Therapy May Prove To Be Arsenal Against Ovarian Cancer Says Early Study

Online, May 6, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Chemotherapy has been a general standard of care for ovarian cancer for decades either in the form of intravenous (IV) or intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy. One potential strategy involves the use of oncolytic viruses that preferentially replicate in tumor cells via IV and IP administration routes. Early studies have demonstrated the reovirus' effectiveness in targeting tumors.

Calgary-based Oncolytics Biotech Inc. is developing REOLYSIN®, derived from the oncolytic reovirus, as a potential cancer therapeutic for many types of human cancers. Patients are infused through an IV or IP with REOLYSIN.

At this year's annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), researchers from the Ohio State University presented a poster entitled ""Reovirus replication in ovarian and peritoneal tumors after intravenous administration," which covered correlative results from a Phase 1/2 study with reovirus, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute under its Clinical Trials Agreement with Oncolytics, in patients with ovarian, primary peritoneal and fallopian tube carcinoma.

"Normal cells don't allow the virus to replicate, but cancer cells do. So the virus copies over and over again in the diseased cells until the cells die and release thousands more viruses to continue the work. It targets the cancer, with few consequences for normal cells," explains Matt Coffey, Oncolytics Biotech's Chief Operating Officer and co-author of the poster.

The research team evaluated samples from 5 patients who participated in the trial, and biopsies proved that the reovirus had indeed targeted the tumors and were able to replicate within the tumors. The results provide evidence of viral targeting and replication in peritoneal and ovarian cancer cells after intravenous administration of reovirus to patients, noted the researchers.

Researchers are hopeful that Reolysin will extend the lives of thousands of women stricken with ovarian cancer. "Adding this type of new, promising agent to the roster of existing therapies hopefully is going to make a difference in helping to treat ovarian cancer," says Coffey.

In 2004, in the United States, 25,580 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed and 16,090 women died of the disease.

REOLYSIN is also currently being tested against metastatic melanoma, sarcoma and head and neck cancers in the U.S.

For more information, log on to www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.