Sounds like this is a (modified) Herpes virus you might WANT to get!!!!

[Lani]

Modified Herpes Virus Shows Promise Against Metastatic Melanoma

May 28 - A gene-modified, immune-enhanced herpes simplex type 1 virus has shown promising activity against metastatic melanoma in a phase II study reported Wednesday at the 12th annual meeting of American Society of Gene Therapy in San Diego.

A pivotal phase III trial of the modified virus -- OncoVEX GM-CSF (BioVex, Woburn, MA) -- involving 360 melanoma patients is underway.

"We believe OncoVEX GM-CSF has a local oncolytic effect, selectively replicating in and directly killing tumor cells, and an immune-stimulating effect," which destroys un-injected metastatic deposits, study presenter Dr. Neil N. Senzer of the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center, Dallas, Texas, said in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.

In the study, 50 patients with inoperable stage IIIc/IV malignant melanoma, most of whom were progressing after having failed prior therapy, received OncoVEX GM-CSF by injection into tumor sites every 2 weeks for 26 weeks.

"In an intention-to-treat analysis of all 50 patients, we had 8 patients with complete response and 5 with partial response," Dr. Senzer told Reuters Health.

The overall response rate was therefore 26%, "with 58% still alive at 1 year and 52% alive through 2 years, which is pretty exciting for this group of patients," the investigator added. "And when you look at patients with complete response, we had 92% survival at 1 year in that group and 87% going on to 2 years; so very provocative initial data."

Patients with stage IV melanoma have a median survival of 6 months. Overall median survival in the current study was 16 months.

Dr. Senzer also said preliminary clinical studies indicate that OncoVEX GM-CSF is also active against other tumor types, including breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

The treatment has minimal side effects, "mostly flu-like symptoms," the researcher noted.