X-Message-Number: 17293 From: "Stephen Bogner" <> Subject: Promising Cancer Treatment - REOLYSIN Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 13:17:02 -0600 My apologies in advance to those who might feel this post is "Off Topic" here. However given the recent disclosures by several posters regarding their personal challenges with Cancer, I felt compelled to point to a hopeful treatment currently completing Phase 1 trials here in Canada (apparently with extraordinary results), with enrollments for Phase 2 trials underway in both Canada and the US. The company involved is Oncolytics Biotech, located in Calgary, Alberta. They are a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as ONC. Their website is: http://www.oncolyticsbiotech.com From the company website: "The Company was formed in 1998, to explore the natural oncolytic capability of the reovirus, a virus that preferentially replicates in cells with an activated Ras pathway. The product being developed by the Company may represent a novel treatment for certain tumor types and some cellular proliferative disorders. The Company s product is a virus that is able to replicate specifically in, and hence kill, certain tumor cells both in tissue culture as well as in a number of animal models. The Company s product for human use, REOLYSIN , is the reovirus. This virus has been demonstrated to replicate specifically in tumor cells bearing an activated Ras pathway. Activating mutations of Ras and upstream elements of Ras may play a role in greater than two thirds of all potential tumors. The functionality of the product is based upon the finding that tumors bearing an activated Ras pathway are deficient in their ability to activate the anti-viral response mediated by the host cellular protein, PKR. Since PKR is responsible for preventing reovirus replication, tumor cells lacking the activity of PKR are susceptible to reovirus infections. As normal cells do not possess Ras activations, these cells are able to thwart reovirus infections by the activity of PKR. In a tumor cell with an activated Ras pathway, reovirus is able to freely replicate and hence kill the host tumor cell. The result of this replication is progeny viruses that are then free to infect surrounding cancer cells. This cycle of infection, replication and cell death is believed to be repeated until there are no longer any tumor cells carrying an activated Ras pathway available." An absence of side effects has been confirmed by the Phase 1 trial, and anecdotal reports/leaks of efficacy - yet to be confirmed by the formal release of results to Health Canada (expected in August or September) - suggest that the remission of advanced stages of some cancers has been achieved in a significant number (some completely unsubstantiated reports/rumors suggest all) of the cohort enrolled in Phase 1. All of these patients had exhausted other treatments, and were diagnosed to be terminal within 12 weeks. Phase 1 began in June 2000, so the survival of even a minority of these patients would be absolutely stunning. In Phase 1, reovirus was injected directly into tumors. Recently published reports indicate that REOLYSIN will be effective against systemic (metastatic) cancers, which is what ought to be expected given it's viral nature, and that it will be useful even in cases where the patient has developed immunity to the reovirus due to prior exposure (about 70% of everyone has already been infected by this harmless virus at some point in our lives) by suppressing the immune system, for example with cyclosporin. By nature and training I am cautious in these matters. However, after performing a considerable amount of due diligence I believe that this is the "real deal". I should disclose that I have made a significant investment (at least for me) in shares of this company - and I think that after you do your own DD you might well decide to do the same. One of the best sources of information on the prospects of REOLYSIN, and ONC as an investment, is the Investors Forum on Stockhouse, at: http://www.stockhouse.com/bullboards/forum.asp?symbol=ONC&table=list This particular stock forum is of unusual quality due to the depth of knowledge and relevant background of many of the posters. If my life, or the life of someone close to me was threatened by cancer, this treatment would be the first treatment that I would want to try, given the absence of side effects and the fact that the treatment works very rapidly, eliminating the cancer - from dogs and other companion animals at least - in a matter of only a few days. If REOLYSIN treatment was unsuccessful for some reason, then there would still be time for the more intrusive treatments that are conventional today. Interestingly enough, Pfizer has licensed REOLYSIN for veterinary use, and they are conducting their own internal R&D trial on companion animals over the past 2 weeks, using virus that they have produced themselves. The regulatory hurdles for veterinary use are obviously much less rigorous - and much shorter - than for human use, but as far as I know the products will be identical. Hopefully, the day when the REOLYSIN treatment is approved by the regulatory authorities for general use is not too far off to be helpful to our friends here. There is always hope. Never give up! Steve. --- Stephen Bogner, P.Eng. 403-544-4786 (v) Immersive Imaging Lab 403-544-4704 (f) Defense Research Establishment Suffield --- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=17293