Oncolytics Pelareorep/Pembrolizumab Combo Therapy Shows Anti-Cancer Activity In Pancreatic Cancer

Oncolytics Biotech Inc (NASDAQ: ONCY) has announced new data from Phase 2 trial evaluating pelareorep in combination with Merck & Co Inc (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in pancreatic cancer.
Data will be presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Findings from the trial indicate that pelareorep and pembrolizumab synergize and show anti-cancer activity in patients who progressed after first-line treatment.
Disease control was achieved in 42% (5/12) of patients, with one patient achieving a partial response and four patients achieving stable disease.
On-treatment tumor biopsies showed pelareorep replication and increased infiltration of CD8+ T cells and PD-L1+ cells relative to pre-treatment samples.
Patients achieving disease control showed reductions in pro-tumor regulatory T cells and increased activation of anti-cancer CD8+ T cells compared to those with progressive disease.
Pelareorep-pembrolizumab combination therapy was found to be well tolerated, with most treatment-related adverse events being mild or moderate.
Price Action: ONCY shares are up 5.8% at $2.99 during the market session on the last check Thursday.
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