Jennerex announces data from JX-594 clinical studies on cancer

Jennerex, Inc., a private clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development and commercialization of first-in-class targeted oncolytic virus products for cancer, today announced that data relating to the company's oncolytic virus therapy for cancer was featured in three separate abstracts during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting currently taking place in Chicago, Illinois. 

Abstract #TPS4152: Jennerex presented an overview of TRAVERSE, a multinational, randomized Phase 2b trial evaluating JX-594 in patients with advanced liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), who have failed prior therapy with sorafenib. The study is ongoing with approximately 120 patients expected to be enrolled. In the study, patients are randomized 2:1 to receive JX-594 plus best supportive care versus best supportive care alone. Patients randomized to the JX-594 group receive an initial intravenous dose of JX-594 followed by five intratumoral injections of JX-594 over an 18-week treatment period. The primary objective of the trial is to determine and compare overall survival for patients receiving JX-594 plus best supportive care versus best supportive care alone. Secondary endpoints include safety and objective tumor response. For more information about the trial, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Additional abstracts relating to JX-594 clinical trials at ASCO include:

• Abstract #e14566:  Results from 20 advanced, sorafenib-refractory, HCC patients, treated with JX-594 in a Phase 2 clinical trial.  In the single arm trial, patients received JX-594 by intravenous infusion and intratumoral injection prior to re-initiation of standard sorafenib therapy.  Objectives of this study included determination of safety of JX-594 followed by sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC, and anti-tumor activity of JX-594 alone and in combination with sorafenib. Treatment with JX-594 was shown to be well-tolerated and demonstrated antitumor effects.  Subsequent treatment with sorafenib was associated with the expected toxicity profile.
• Abstract #e13044:  A Phase 1b dose escalation study of JX-594 in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma refractory to chemotherapy and cetuximab.  This study is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of JX-594 administered intravenously every other week (four total treatments).   Secondary endpoints include assessment of anti-tumor activity. JX-594 was shown to be well-tolerated, and no dose-limiting toxicities were reported.  Enrollment is continuing in an expansion cohort at the MTD.