Introgen has licensed rights to a portfolio of oncolytic viruses and other related technologies from VirRx, Inc. This portfolio includes a series of replication competent adenovirus vectors that over-express an adenoviral gene (ADP gene) that causes rapid destruction of cancer cells through the replication and release of new viral particles. Introgen´s oncolytic viruses have a number of attributes that make them particularly useful in developing innovative cancer therapies:
- The over-expression of the ADP gene sets this technology apart from other existing oncolytic viruses and results in a powerful anti-tumor effect in preclinical models of cancer
- Oncolytic viruses can be genetically engineered so that they are active in cancer cells but not normal cells
- Oncolytic viruses can be engineered to deliver tumor suppressors that kill cancer cells, increasing their anti-tumor potential by providing an additional mechanism for catalyzing the destruction of cancer cells
- Oncolytic adenoviruses can readily be engineered and manufactured utilizing Introgen´s existing adenoviral vector-related infrastructure
INGN 007, now in preclinical development, is the first product development candidate based on Introgen´s oncolytic virus technology platform.
