CALGARY, April 20, 2015 /CNW/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
("Oncolytics") (TSX:ONC) (NASDAQ:ONCY) today announced that a
series of poster presentations by the Company's research
collaborators will be made at the 2015 AACR Annual Meeting being
held from April 18th to
22nd, 2015 in Philadelphia,
PA.
"Our preclinical program remains focused on identifying
additional drug combinations, indications and genetic populations
that we can consider for future clinical testing," said Dr.
Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics. "The findings
presented at the AACR meeting are all supportive of additional work
with these treatment combinations."
The first abstract/poster titled "Combination therapy of
reovirus and PD-1 blockade effectively established tumor control
via innate and adaptive immune responses," was authored by Melcher,
et al. The authors concluded that in an immune-competent murine
melanoma model the combination therapy of reovirus with PD-1
blockade confers significant survival benefit, by augmenting
tumor-specific natural killer (NK) responses and specifically
attenuating tumor-specific immunosuppression. These data also
suggest that combination of PD-1 inhibition therapy with reovirus
oncolytic/immunotherapy represents a readily translatable method to
enhance the therapeutic efficacy.
The second abstract/poster titled "Oncolytic virus (RT3D)
administration in combination with cetuximab in head and neck
squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) models harboring active EGFR/RAS/P13K
signaling," was authored by Psyrri, et al. The authors concluded
that in a transgenic mouse to test the therapeutic effect of
combination of cetuximab treatment and RT3D infection in a mouse
model of ras-driven oral SCC, RT3D infection exhibits a strong
oncolytic effect in cetuximab resistant HNSCC with activated
EGFR/RAS/MAPK signaling. The findings provided evidence that RAS
independent molecular mechanisms can also support the RT3D
proliferation in this subset of HNSCC.
The third abstract/poster titled "Synergistic mechanisms of
oncolytic reovirus with bortezomib in overcoming therapy resistance
of multiple myeloma," was authored by Morris et al. Using a number
of multiple myeloma cell lines the authors concluded that not all
multiple myeloma cell lines are amenable to reovrius mediated cell
death and that this has important implications for the future use
of reovirus as a therapeutic agent. Understanding the signaling
pathways of resistant tumours will help develop a more personalized
approach for reovrius therapy for multiple myeloma patients in the
future.
The fourth abstract/poster titled "Oncolytic viral therapy with
immune modulation is an effective novel treatment strategy for
non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)," was also authored by Morris et
al. Using reovirus and sunitinib the researchers tested series of
human and mouse lung cancer cell lines and concluded that reovirus
and sunitinib combination therapy holds promise as a novel
treatment strategy for NSCLC.
Copies of the abstracts and posters, when available, will be
found on the Oncolytics website at:
http://www.oncolyticsbiotech.com/for-investors/presentations.
About Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
Oncolytics is a
Calgary-based biotechnology
company focused on the development of oncolytic viruses as
potential cancer therapeutics. Oncolytics' clinical program
includes a variety of later-stage, randomized human trials in
various indications using REOLYSIN®, its proprietary
formulation of the human reovirus. For further information about
Oncolytics, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements, including the
Company's expectations related to preclinical work, future work
with anti-PD-1, cetuximab, bortezomib, and sunitinib, and the
Company's belief as to the potential of REOLYSIN® as a
cancer therapeutic, involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the
availability of funds and resources to pursue research and
development projects, the efficacy of REOLYSIN® as
a cancer treatment, the tolerability of REOLYSIN®
outside a controlled test, the success and timely completion of
clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully
commercialize REOLYSIN®, uncertainties related to the
research, development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, changes
in technology, general changes to the economic environment and
uncertainties related to the regulatory process. Investors should
consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the
Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information
on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking
statements. Investors should consider statements that include the
words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates",
"plans", "projects", "should", or other expressions that are
predictions of or indicate future events or trends, to be uncertain
and forward-looking. Investors are cautioned against placing undue
reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not
undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as
required by applicable laws.
SOURCE Oncolytics Biotech Inc.