Oncolytic viruses get a boost with first FDA-approval recommendation

Elie Dolgin

doi:10.1038/nrd4643

Erratum: Oncolytic viruses get a boost with first FDA-approval recommendation

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery ◽

10.1038/nrd4680 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 510-510

Author(s):

Elie Dolgin

Keyword(s):

Oncolytic Viruses ◽

Fda Approval ◽

Approval Recommendation

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Immuno-Oncotherapeutic Approaches in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines8030447 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 447

Author(s):

Robin Park ◽

Fariha Eshrat ◽

Mohammed Al-Jumayli ◽

Azhar Saeed ◽

Anwaar Saeed

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Oncolytic Viruses ◽

Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

T Cell Therapy ◽

Fda Approval ◽

Car T Cell Therapy ◽

Pivotal Study ◽

Extensive Growth

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma has limited treatment options, but there has been extensive growth recently with cabozantinib, regorafenib, lenvatinib, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and bevacizumab, which are some of the treatments that have received FDA approval just over the last three years. Because HCC tumor microenvironment is potentially immunogenic and typically characterized by inflammation, immunotherapy has been proposed as a potential novel therapeutic approach, which has prompted studies in advanced HCC patients investigating various immune-therapeutic strategies such as CAR-T cell therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, and onco-vaccines. The anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab have been FDA approved as a second line treatment in patients who progressed or are intolerant to Sorafenib. To build up on the success of PD-1 monotherapy, combinatorial regimens with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus VEGF targeted agents have shown positive results in various malignancies including HCC. The combination of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab is the new addition to the HCC treatment armamentarium following a pivotal study that demonstrated an improvement in OS over frontline sorafenib. Other novel immune-based approaches and oncolytic viruses are in the early phases of clinical evaluation. These innovative approaches enhance the intensity of cancer-directed immune responses and will potentially impact the outlook of this aggressive disease.

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A New Role for Vitamin D: The Enhancement of Oncolytic Viral Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines6040104 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 104 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Christopher LaRocca ◽

Susanne Warner

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Cancer Therapeutics ◽

Tumor Stroma ◽

Oncolytic Viruses ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Fda Approval ◽

Viral Therapy ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

United States Food

Oncolytic viruses have emerged as a novel class of anti-cancer therapeutics with one virus already receiving United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval (talimogene laherparepvec) and many others undergoing testing in clinical trials. These viruses have direct lytic effects on tumor cells as well as immunomodulatory functions to increase inflammatory cell infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment. Despite all of the advances in cancer care, pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal malignancy. One of the main barriers to successful systemic treatment of the disease is the fibrotic tumor stroma, as the unique extracellular matrix creates an environment that promotes tumor growth and is resistant to chemotherapy and other anti-cancer agents. The pleiotropic effects of Vitamin D have been widely studied, but recent research has now demonstrated it to be an effective agent in modulating pancreatic cancer stroma to facilitate the enhanced delivery of cytotoxic chemotherapy and immunogenicity in response to treatment. This review will explore the combination of Vitamin D with oncolytic viruses and how this novel application of Vitamin D’s ability to modulate pancreatic tumor stroma may result in a potential mechanism for increasing the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

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HSV-1 Oncolytic Viruses from Bench to Bedside: An Overview of Current Clinical Trials

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers12123514 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 3514

Author(s):

Marilin Koch ◽

Sean Lawler ◽

E. Chiocca

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Oncolytic Viruses ◽

Talimogene Laherparepvec ◽

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽

Therapy Options ◽

Fda Approval ◽

Tumor Selectivity ◽

Simplex Virus ◽

Oncologic Therapy ◽

Hsv 1

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) provides a genetic chassis for several oncolytic viruses (OVs) currently in clinical trials. Oncolytic HSV1 (oHSV) have been engineered to reduce neurovirulence and enhance anti-tumor lytic activity and immunogenicity to make them attractive candidates in a range of oncology indications. Successful clinical data resulted in the FDA-approval of the oHSV talimogene laherparepvec (T-Vec) in 2015, and several other variants are currently undergoing clinical assessment and may expand the landscape of future oncologic therapy options. This review offers a detailed overview of the latest results from clinical trials as well as an outlook on newly developed HSV-1 oncolytic variants with improved tumor selectivity, replication, and immunostimulatory capacity and related clinical studies.

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Viral oncolytic immunotherapy in the war on cancer: Infection control considerations

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2018.358 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 350-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Elizabeth V. Robilotti ◽

Asmita Kumar ◽

Michael S. Glickman ◽

Mini Kamboj

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Horizontal Transmission ◽

Oncolytic Viruses ◽

Novel Therapy ◽

New Agents ◽

Fda Approval ◽

Ongoing Care ◽

Infection Preventionists ◽

Current Mechanism

AbstractOncolytic viral immunotherapy is an emerging treatment modality for cancer that exploits in vivo replication and other viral properties to enhance immune killing of malignant cells. The potential for horizontal transmission of native or engineered oncolytic viruses creates several unique infection control challenges. In 2015, talimogene laherparepvec (TVEC) became the first agent in this class to gain FDA approval for treatment of melanoma, and several others are being developed. Although some data on the transmissibility of TVEC are available from clinical studies, the aftermarket or real-world experience remains limited. We conducted a PUBMED-based search of the medical literature focusing on the safety and risk of TVEC transmission to close contacts including healthcare workers. The findings are summarized in this review and are intended to provide infection preventionists with practical guidance on handling issues related to administration and care of patients receiving TVEC. Additionally, we describe the current mechanism for evaluating the risk related to similar new agents entering clinical trials at our institution. Development of standarized approaches for the safe administration and precautions for ongoing care, especially in immunocompromised patients, are essential to support the broad adoption of this novel therapy.

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