Regulatory Approval Clears Path for Oncolytics Biotech® to Advance Promising Pancreatic Cancer Treatment, Following a Review of Safety Data

On January 15, 2025 Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), a leading clinical-stage company specializing in immunotherapy for oncology, reported that Germany’s medical regulatory body, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (PEI), has approved the continuation of patient enrollment into Cohort 5 of the GOBLET study (Press release, Oncolytics Biotech, JAN 15, 2025, View Source [SID1234649740]). This cohort is evaluating pelareorep in combination with modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) with or without atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in newly diagnosed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients.

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Following a positive safety review by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), which recommended continuation, the PEI’s approval allows Cohort 5 to progress to full enrollment. Early safety data will be presented at the upcoming 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium later this month, with initial efficacy results expected in the second half of the year.

"Pelareorep has the potential to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer," said Thomas Heineman, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer for Oncolytics Biotech. "Encouraging tumor response rates observed in an earlier cohort of the GOBLET study underscore pelareorep’s promise in this disease. GOBLET Cohort 5 extends our evaluation by testing pelareorep with a different chemotherapy regimen, mFOLFIRINOX, which broadens the range of pancreatic cancer patients who may benefit from this innovative therapy. Positive results from this cohort may ultimately enable pelareorep to benefit the large majority of metastatic pancreatic patients for whom improved treatment options are badly needed."

About GOBLET Cohort 5
The mFOLFIRINOX cohort of the Phase 1/2 GOBLET study is designed to evaluate newly diagnosed metastatic PDAC patients treated with pelareorep + mFOLFIRINOX with or without atezolizumab. A three-patient safety run-in was incorporated to evaluate the safety and tolerability of each treatment arm: pelareorep + mFOLFIRINOX + atezolizumab and pelareorep + mFOLFIRINOX. A total of fifteen evaluable patients will be randomized to each arm in Stage 1 of this Simon two-stage study. The co-primary endpoints are objective response rate and safety. If Stage 1 success criteria are met, one or both treatment arms may be expanded to Stage 2, in which 17 additional evaluable patients per arm will be enrolled. Blood and tumor samples will also be collected for translational evaluations.

About GOBLET
The GOBLET (Gastrointestinal tumOrs exploring the treatment comBinations with the oncolytic reovirus peLarEorep and anTi-PD-L1) study is a phase 1/2 multiple indication study in advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal tumors. The study is being conducted at 17 centers in Germany and is being managed by AIO-Studien-gGmbH. The co-primary endpoints of the study are objective response rate (ORR) and/or disease control rate and safety. Key secondary and exploratory endpoints include additional efficacy assessments and evaluation of potential biomarkers. The study comprises five treatment groups:

1.Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel in 1st line advanced/metastatic PDAC patients;

2.Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab in 1st line MSI (microsatellite instability)-high metastatic colorectal cancer patients;

3.Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab and TAS-102 in 3rd line metastatic colorectal cancer patients;

4.Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab in 2nd line or later advanced and unresectable anal cancer patients; and

5.Pelareorep in combination with mFOLFIRINOX with and without atezolizumab in newly diagnosed metastatic PDAC patients.

Any cohort meeting pre-specified efficacy criteria in Stage 1 may be advanced to Stage 2 and enroll additional patients.

About AIO
AIO-Studien-gGmbH (AIO) emerged from the study center of the medical oncology working group within the German Cancer Society (DKG). AIO operates with a non-profit purpose of promoting science and research with a focus on medical oncology. Since its foundation, AIO has become a successful sponsor and study management company and has established itself both nationally and internationally.