Viralytics CEO Dr Malcolm McColl has highlighted progress in the development of its immunotherapy CAVATAK at the Roth Investment Conference in the US.
CAVATAK, the company's lead investigational compound, is a formulation of the common cold Coxsackievirus Type A21. It works by harnessing the body's own immune system to attack certain cancer types.
Viralytics recently announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial (CANON) of CAVATAK in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, also known as superficial bladder cancer.
At yesterday's conference, Dr McColl's presented CANON as just one component in CAVATAK's clinical development, in addition to a Phase 2 trial in advanced melanoma (CALM), and studies in combination with other therapies, including a Phase 1b trial with Bristol-Myers Squibb's YERVOY.
CAVATAK is also being studied in a Phase 1/2 trial (STORM) in patients with melanoma, prostate, lung or metatstatic bladder cancers.
Interim data from the CALM trial presented in September last year showed that CAVATAK exceeded the primary endpoint of immune related progression free survival at six months.
According to a statement from the company, 38.6 per cent of patients achieved progression free survival of six months, exceeding the target of 18.5 per cent.
It expects final results from the CALM trial and and initial results from the STORM trial in the middle of 2015. Initial results from the CANON trial are expected in the third quarter 2015.