Hamilton cancer patient first to get experimental lung cancer treatment
Called a milestone, researchers from McMaster University involved with project
A Hamilton patient is the first to receive an experimental lung cancer treatment that uses both the immune system and viruses to attack tumours.
“It’s a milestone,” said McMaster University associate professor Brian Lichty, who was a leader on the team that developed the engineered viruses. “It’s taken a long time to get to this point.”
The “Sandpiper” trial, which is recruiting 54 more patients, combines the two most promising cancer fighters — immunotherapy and virotherapy — to stimulate the immune system and attack cancer cells.
The hope of researchers at McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences and the Ottawa Hospital is that the two therapies together will be a powerful weapon against Canada’s deadliest cancer.
“In my view, this is the future of cancer therapy,” said Lichty.
If it works, it could be modified to treat many other cancers. Researchers are already looking at testing it in prostate and cervical cancer.
“We can go back and redesign the virus to go after a particular cancer type,” said Lichty. “It’s putting those pieces of the puzzle together that is going to lead to much better, much less toxic and much more focused cancer therapies.”
The treatment starts with a cancer vaccine injected in the arm to generate an immune response. It is made from an engineered virus called adMA3, which is derived from the common cold.
Next an engineered virus is administered twice intravenously to find tumours, infect the cancer cells and kill them. The MG1 Maraba virus, first isolated from Brazilian sandflies, also acts as a booster to the vaccine.
In addition, patients get the drug pembrolizumab every three weeks to stimulate the immune response. Health Canada approved the immunotherapy for cancer treatment last year.
The first patient’s response to the treatment is so far unknown. HHS says the patient wishes to remain anonymous and declined to speak to The Spectator.
It will take about two years to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
“Clinical trials like this are incredibly important,” said Dr. Kelly Fathers, senior manager of research communications at the Canadian Cancer Society. “They’re using a multipronged approach … Both have potential.”
Costing $80,000 to $100,000 a patient, the treatment is far more expensive than chemotherapy.
However, lung cancer accounted for 26 per cent of all cancer deaths in 2016. On average, 57 Canadians will die from lung cancer every day, says the society.
It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada.
The study is primarily funded by Turnstone Biologics, which has the licence to develop the engineered viruses. The company was cofounded by Lichty and the other virus developers from the University of Ottawa, the Ottawa Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
Additional money came from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, which is funded by the province and BioCanRX, a federal government-sponsored Network of Centres of Excellence.
Patients wanting to take part in the study should talk to their oncologist.
For more information about Turnstone’s clinical trials, call 613421-8930, ext. 400.
In my view, this is the future of cancer therapy. MCMASTER ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR BRIAN LICHTY