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