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11/6/2009 9:08:01 AM ET News Release Index


Oncolytics Biotech® Inc. Collaborators Present Positive Phase II Sarcoma Trial Results at CTOS Annual Meeting

CALGARY, AB, November 6, 2009 --- Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY) (“Oncolytics” or the “Company”) today announced updated results from a Phase II study of intravenous REOLYSIN® in patients with sarcomas metastatic to the lung in a poster presentation at the 15th Annual Connective Tissue Oncology Society Meeting held in Miami Beach, Florida, from November 5th to 7th. The poster presentation, entitled "A Phase II Study of Intravenous REOLYSIN (Wild-type Reovirus) in the Treatment of Patients with Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcomas Metastatic to the Lung", was delivered by Dr. Kamalesh Sankhala, part of principal investigator Dr. Monica Mita's team at the Institute of Drug Development (IDD), the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center, (UTHSC), San Antonio, Texas.

The investigators reported that the treatment has been well tolerated to date, and that 19 of 44 evaluable patients experienced stable disease ranging from two to 20 months, resulting in a total clinical benefit rate (complete response + partial response + stable disease) of 43%. The response objective for the study was three or more patients having prolonged stabilization of disease (>6 months) or better, for the agent to be considered. The trial exceeded its established objective with six patients experiencing stable disease for more than six months. Two patients have experienced stable disease for more than 19 months. One has synovial cell sarcoma that relapsed following surgery, while the other has Ewing’s Sarcoma and had previously progressed following multiple treatments.

“We were very happy to participate in the study,” said Dr. Mita. “REOLYSIN is a promising option for patients with sarcoma as shown by the results of this study. As a single agent the virus had a clinical benefit rate of 43% and it was very well tolerated. Further studies combining REOLYSIN with chemotherapy are contemplated in order to integrate the virus in the panoply of agents used for sarcoma treatment.”

“These results are consistent with what we observed on an interim basis when we reported data on the first 16 patients back in June 2008,” said Dr. Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics. “It is encouraging that we are observing stable disease in a range of sarcomas and the clinical benefit is not isolated to any specific type.”

A copy of the poster will be available on the Oncolytics website today.