Promising Results Continue to Develop Optimism in Fight Against Cancers

FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group  -  There's plenty of optimism surrounding the major medical breakthroughs targeting multiple types of cancer that are getting closer to approval across the pharmaceutical sector. Among the latest trends are trials beginning for cancer vaccines, and combination therapyto combat resistance to chemotherapy drugs, and predictive oncology for precision cancer care. There has been plenty of development from the biotech sector, including from Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ:ONCY) (TSX:ONC), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:REGN), Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN), and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN).

Recently Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ:ONCY) (TSX:ONC) announced that in early December, it will give an updateon its Phase II Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Trial—known as the IRENE study, which is evaluating the company's flagship product pelareorep in combination with Incyte's anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor retifanlimab.

Pelareorep is being evaluated for multiple cancer types, including gastrointestinal cancers, where Oncolytics Biotech also announced the dosing of its first patientin a Phase 1/2 GOBLET Study, with another pelareorep-anti-PD-L1 combination.

"[The GOBLET] trial addresses a pressing unmet need in gastrointestinal cancer by leveraging pelareorep's immunotherapeutic effects to overcome checkpoint inhibitor resistance and then increase the proportion of patients responding to checkpoint inhibition therapies," said Dr. Coffey. "Looking forward, we will continue to strategically leverage collaborations and partnerships to drive pelareorep's development as an enabling technology for various immuno-oncology agents across multiple indications with high unmet needs."

So far there have been several potential suitors for pelareorep, an immunotherapeutic agent that turns "cold" tumors "hot", including from Roche, Merck, Merck KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Pfizer Inc., all of which make oncology drugs that are being evaluated in combination with pelareorep.

Big changes are coming for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), as the pharma giant is splitting into separate companies. On one side will be the company's better known over-the-counter household brands such as Neutrogena, Aveeno, and Band-Aids. On the other, will be J&J's leading cancer drug Darzalex, along with the pharma giant's Covid-19 injections, and medical devices for orthopedics and surgery.