MediGene advances viral approach to treating cancer

Germany's MediGene grabbed the headlines at a conference in Switzerland recently with new efficacy data from a Phase I/II trial of a genetically engineered herpes virus designed to kill cancer cells. NV1020 was designed to replicate only in cancer cells, killing the host while leaving healthy tissue alone. In one advanced case where the cancer had spread to a variety of places in the body, the therapy--in combination with chemotherapy--almost eradicated several tumors in the liver area. That patient survived an additional 12 months. People with cancer that has spread to the liver rarely survive very long. These first human cases in the trial follow animal studies that demonstrated the approach was effective in treating liver cancer and colorectal cancer. The researchers also believe that this method of treatment would avoid many of the severe complications associated with treating cancer patients.

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