Transgene, Sillajen’s EU partner, published the result of using Pexa-Vec, an oncolytic virus therapy, as preoperative therapy for nine patients with either colorectal cancer liver metastases or metastatic melanoma scheduled for surgery.

The company conducted the clinical trial from September 2015 to June 2018, with the company administering Pexa-Vec as a neoadjuvant intravenous administration before surgery.

Eight in nine patients underwent surgery as scheduled.

As a result of histopathological analysis of cancer tissues, the company confirmed one complete response and one partial response case.

A long-term follow-up of the patients showed that five patients survived at the time of writing the thesis in December 2021, and three patients with CRLM showed complete remission. All three patients had an overall survival of at least 42 months or longer.

Notably, a 47-year-old CRLM patient who received Pexa-Vec in the presence of both primary and metastatic cancer and canceled surgery after pre-treatment with Pexa-Vec remained alive.

“The survival of a colorectal cancer patient with metastasized cancer to the liver for more than 43 months means that the condition is not worsening, showing the efficacy of Pexa-Vec,” a Sillajen official said.