On July 24, 2017 Transgene (Euronext Paris: TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops viral-based immunotherapies, announces that new and encouraging preclinical data on its next generation armed engineered oncolytic virus platform have been published in Cancer Research (Press release, Transgene, JUL 24, 2017, View Source [SID1234519869]). The publication presents key findings of Transgene’s latest improved vaccinia virus backbone expressing the Fcu1 gene, which is engineered to transform the non-cytotoxic pro-drug, flucytosine (5-FC), into 5-FU, a widely-used cancer chemotherapy. Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
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These preclinical data further strengthen the preclinical data package of Transgene’s most advanced next generation oncolytic virus, TG6002, which is expected to enter the clinic in the coming months in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.
The key results reported in the publication titled, "Immune checkpoint blockade, immunogenic chemotherapy or IFN-α blockade boost the local and abscopal effects of oncolytic virotherapy" are:
• The next generation oncolytic virus demonstrated its ability to induce complete response in the primary tumor and immune-mediated regression of distant metastases; • This oncolytic virus induced immunogenic tumor cell death and generated a systemic immune response. This response is associated with an increase of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells infiltration (particularly PD-1+ CD8+ T cells) and a decrease of regulatory T-cells in the tumor; • The therapeutic activity of this next generation oncolytic virus was further enhanced when combined with either chemotherapy or with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies.