Improved EHDV-TAU oncolytic virotherapy

Improved EHDV-TAU oncolytic virotherapy

Modality: Biologic

Prof. Marcelo Ehrlich, PI, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, TAU
Prof. Eran Bacharach, PI, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, TAU
Dr. Raya Leibowitz-Amit, PI, Shamir Medical Center

An oncolytic virus for melanoma tumors with defective interferon signaling, designed as a potent, specific and safe therapy. Promising in-vivo murine melanoma model shows potential for development as a mono or an add-on to chemotherapy or check-point inhibitors

Outline and unmet need

On Nov. 2015 the FDA approved the first oncolytic virus based treatment. Oncolytic viruses are a promising category of anti-cancer therapeutic agents that have a dual action:

kill cancer cells directly and specifically and -
stimulate of anti-tumor immunity.

The currently approved therapy enhances a durable response in a small subset of prostate cancer patients, leaving the majority of the patients as non-responders.

Viral characteristics such as size, genome composition, lytic abilities etc. determine the interactions of oncolytic viruses with cancer cells. There is a need for an oncolytic virus with markedly different characteristics to target the non-responding prostate cancer patients.

Our solution

EHDV-TAU - Directed evolution enabled to develop a novel oncolytic virus,. A clone of the epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus matured on interferon-defective human prostate cells.
EHDV-TAU - An oncolytic virus for melanoma tumors with defective interferon signaling, designed as a potent, specific and safe therapy.

Current Development Stage