On Wednesday, SillaJen announced the registration of a domestic patent for a technology that helps oncolytic viruses evade neutralizing antibodies. This breakthrough aims to overcome the limitations of oncolytic viruses being eliminated by neutralizing antibodies during repeated administration, potentially paving the way for intravenous oncolytic virus therapies.
Oncolytic viruses are engineered to selectively target and destroy cancer cells. However, when administered intravenously, the body’s immune system may identify the virus as foreign and eliminate it. The formation of neutralizing antibodies against the virus can hinder subsequent doses from reaching tumors, making repeated administration a significant hurdle in development.
The SJ-607 platform is designed to express CD55 on the viral envelope, enabling it to evade neutralization by both the complement system and neutralizing antibodies. SillaJen aims to improve the potential for repeated intravenous administration of oncolytic viruses through this technology. The patent secures rights for repeated administration and therapeutic applications based on this innovative approach.
SJ-607 is the cornerstone of SillaJen’s oncolytic virus platform, GEEV technology, and forms the basis for the subsequent SJ-600 series. The company is exploring ways to enhance treatment efficacy and expand the technology by incorporating additional anti-cancer agents into the oncolytic virus.
The SJ-600 series is currently undergoing process development and toxicity testing at Leitera, an Italian contract development and manufacturing organization. SillaJen reported that research findings on the SJ-600 series were published in the prestigious journal ‘Molecular Therapy’ in February.
It’s important to note that while the patent registration secures rights to the technology, it doesn’t prove the effectiveness of neutralizing antibody evasion, anti-cancer efficacy, or safety of repeated administration in humans. Future non-clinical trials will need to verify in vivo distribution, tumor targeting, immune responses, and toxicity during repeated administration, followed by clinical trials to confirm therapeutic efficacy.
A SillaJen spokesperson stated that the technology for repeated intravenous administration of oncolytic viruses shows promising anti-cancer efficacy even in metastatic cancers, which could significantly enhance the commercial potential of the SJ-600 series. It believes that securing rights related to repeated intravenous administration will facilitate future commercialization and business development.
In other news, SillaJen acquired the next-generation targeted anti-cancer candidate BAL0891 from Swiss pharmaceutical company Basilea in 2022. The company is expanding clinical trials for solid tumors and blood cancers centered around BAL0891 while diversifying its pipeline with its proprietary oncolytic virus platform, the SJ-600 series.
Recently, SillaJen has been focusing on the clinical development of BAL0891 and combination therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors, concentrating on the development of new drugs in the post-Pexa-Vec era.
