A Cancer-Killing Virus Is Set to Be Tested on Humans

For the very first time, a human patient has received a dose of an experimental cancer-killing drug made from a virus, and should the clinical trial results be positive and conclusive, this new treatment could effectively eradicate cancer tumors.

“Our previous research demonstrated that oncolytic viruses can stimulate the immune system to respond to and kill cancer, as well as stimulate the immune system to be more responsive to other immunotherapies,” says Daneng Li, oncologist and principal investigator at City of Hope. “We believe CF33-hNIS has the potential to improve outcomes for our patients.”

The CF330-hNIS – also known as Vaxina – is an oncolytic virus, meaning that it has been genetically modified to select and destroy cancer cells, and spare healthy ones. In this case, the modified pox virus infects cells which then burst, releasing virus particles that act as antigens. The immune system is stimulated to attack nearby cancer cells. Los Angeles-based cancer care and research center City of Hope and Australia-based biotech company Imugene are now ready to test their drug on human patients. One hundred adult participants with metastatic or advanced solid tumors will receive low doses of the treatment intravenously or via direct injection. Patients must have previously tried two lines of standard treatment to be eligible for the trial which should take two years to complete.