Oncolytics represent a fast-growing field of cancer therapies that activate the body’s own immune system to destroy tumor cells. G207 is particularly well suited for treating brain tumors alone or in combination with other marketed and experimental therapies.
Therapy
G207 is a modified oncolytic HSV-1 immunotherapy with an extensive clinical development path.
History
G207 has been used safely in 3 phase 1 trials enrolling more than 40 adult brain tumor patients. Additionally, two pediatric brain tumor trials enrolled nearly 20 pediatric brain tumor patients. Favorable clinical results from these trials supported opening a large multi-center Phase 2 study for pediatric patients with recurrent gliomas in 2024.
Rationale
G207 has a strong safety profile. Pediatric brain tumors are uniquely sensitive to oncolytic virus therapy. Combining G207 with standard-of-care (e.g., radiation) or novel new drugs (e.g., checkpoint inhibitors) may provide significant survival benefit for patients.
Mechanism
G207 is engineered so that it selectively infects and kills tumor cells leaving healthy cells unharmed. Death of infected tumor cells releases G207 that spreads to infect additional tumor cells and to elicit a florid T-cell immune-related inflammatory response within the tumor. It is believed that the patient’s own immune response is a major basis for the anti-tumor efficacy of G207.