Pexa-Vec (JX-594), SillaJen’s oncolytic and immunotherapeutic vaccinia virus, has been proven effective against pancreatic cancer when combined with cancer drug sunitinib, according to data from animal studies.

At 1:50 pm. Tuesday, shares of the Kosdaq`s No. 3 biotech company were up 2 percent at 106,000 won.

Sunitinib is a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor like Nexavar (sorafenib), a well-known drug to treat liver cancer.

According to industry sources on Tuesday, the new research findings were published in the latest issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). In the research paper, mice with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors showed tumor vascular shutdown, antitumor response and inhibition of cancer metastasis after treatment with Pexa-Vec in combination with sunitinib. In addition, the penetration of CD8 T-Cell, a type of T-lymphocyte in the immune system, into the tumor tissue increases significantly, killing the tumor cells. Such penetration increased much more significantly in the sunitinib/Pexa-Vec combination than in sunitinib alone.

Pexa-Vec is derived from a vaccinia vaccine strain that has been engineered to target cancer cells. It infects cancer cells first, and then the patient`s immune system recognizes the infected cancer cells as foreign bodies and attacks them. The investigational oncolytic virus is being evaluated in combination with Yervoy and with Nexavar for the treatment of various cancer patients.

"Sunitinib given in combination with Pexa-Vec showed similar effects against not only pancreatic cancer but also brain tumor. The latest research demonstrated the combination of a TKI and Pexa-Vec could provide treatment benefits,” said a SillaJen official.

By Shin Chan-ok and Minu Kim

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