RE:RE:Breast cancer treatment: perspectives on the oncolytic virusSome ask whether oncolytic viruses have been making progress in their offerings in the treatment of cancer and the conclusive answer is YES, particularly now that Big Pharma is beginning to embrace their need to combine cancer therapies to have a durable effect in the treatment of cancer. The same fundamental understanding of the need to combine various immune directed therapies came in the treatment of HIV. This didn't come without resistance from Pharma companies who were entirely focused on single treatments. Then Big Pharma experienced a pivotal revelation that the combination of therapies was more effective than single homogeneous treatments could offer. Besides increased treatment effectiveness a major factor driving Big Pharma's move towards combination drug therapy is Big Pharma's ability to create and maintain market exclusivity through the development of complex biologic drugs in combination with one another, making these treatment combinations more difficult to become genericized by single treatment biosimilars or small molecules. Furthermore the passing of the IRA in the United States in January 2022, providied increased market exclusivity for biologics to 13 years from the time of FDA drug approval regardless of patent status vs 9 years for small molecules This change in exclusivity has shifted Big Pharma's focus to biologics and are stealthfully scaling up their BD activities to acquire late-stage and de-risked biologic companies whose assets align for use in combination drug therapy in orphan, rare diseases, and diseases with unmet treatment needs, like ONCY'S pelareorep in the treatment of pancreatic and HR+/HER2- breast cancer, for example. So like using combination drug therapy in the treatment of HIV, Big Pharma eventually comes around to doing what's best, even if it means having to be incentivized through the legislative process.
April 2024 - Oncolytic virus-based combination therapy in breast cancer
Highlights
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- Breast cancer's heterogeneity makes single treatments less effective.
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- Oncolytic viruses can work in synergy with other therapies to boost the immune system's ability to target and destroy breast cancer cells.
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- Combination therapy using oncolytic viruses holds promise for enhancing treatment responses and outcomes in heterogeneous breast tumors.
" Oncolytic virus therapy has emerged as an innovative and promising avenue in the realm of cancer treatment. An oncolytic virus is defined as a virus, either genetically engineered or naturally occurring, with the unique capability to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing normal tissues. This sets oncolytic virus therapy apart from conventional gene therapy, where viruses primarily function as carriers for delivering therapeutic genes. In oncolytic virus therapy, the virus takes on an active role as a therapeutic agent, directly targeting and eliminating cancer cells.
[ Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and its progression often involves various mechanisms and pathways that can limit the efficacy of monotherapy, like single payload antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) ]
Therefore, combining oncolytic viruses with other therapeutic modalities, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapies, may offer a more robust and comprehensive approach to treating breast cancer.
These combination therapies have the potential to target multiple aspects of the disease, enhance the immune response, and overcome resistance mechanisms, ultimately improving the overall outcomes for patients with breast cancer.
These combination approaches not only address the heterogeneity of cancer but also overcome resistance mechanisms that might otherwise limit the effectiveness of single treatments. The synergy between different treatment modalities can lead to more potent and sustained tumor eradication while minimizing the risk of relapse. Moreover, combination therapy holds the promise of minimizing treatment-related toxicities and enhancing the quality of life for patients.