Dr. Pēteris Alberts
Pēteris Alberts obtained his PhD in Karolinska Institute in Sweden. He has served in
pharmacology and pharmacokinetics industry for many years Evola , Maxygen, Pharmcia & Upjohn, Biovitrum, and other biotech companies. He is now Head of R&D of Rigvir in Latvia. The company mainly focuses on virotherapy saving and improving lives of cancer patients.
Abstract
Oncolytic Virus in Cancer Therapy
Dr. Pēteris Alberts, PhD, Assoc. Prof., Head R&D, Rigvir, Riga, Latvia
Oncolytic viruses represent a rather new and fast-growing field of cancer treatment. A large number of viruses have been tested preclinically, quite a few in clinical trials, and three are approved. The first oncolytic virus, Rigvir, was registered was Rigvir in 2004 in Latvia. It has since been registered also in Georgia, Armenia and Uzbekistan. The main aim of the present review is to summarize the development of Rigvir. Preclinically approximately 60 viruses were screened. Clinical safety and efficacy trials were performed with 5 oncolytic enteroviruses. Safety of the selected and melanoma-adapted ECHO-7 virus Rigvir was tested in over 180 patients with no severe adverse events observed. The efficacy studies involved over 700 cancer patients: melanoma (˃540 patients), late-stage stomach cancer (ca. 90 patients), colorectal cancer (ca. 60 patients), and other cancers. The patients were treated with Rigvir for 3 years after surgery and compared to immunotherapy: 3‑ and 5-year overall survival appeared to be increased in Rigvir treated patients. In post‑marketing retrospective studies, Rigvir-treated stage II melanoma patients showed a 6.67-fold decreased risk for disease progression in comparison to those that had been observed according to guidelines, and stage IB and stage II melanoma patients that had received Rigvir therapy had 4.39-6.57-fold lower mortality (cf. Doniņa et al. 2015, Adapted ECHO-7 virus Rigvir immunotherapy (oncolytic virotherapy) prolongs survival in melanoma patients after surgical excision of the tumour in a retrospective study. Melanoma Research 2015, 25, 421–426. https://doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000000180 ). The results are confirmed and extended by published case reports (12 patients). Side effects were sub-febrile temperature, pain in the tumour area, fatigue, sleepiness, and dyspepsia. The side effects were few, reversible, lasted for a couple of days and did not require treatment. In conclusion, Rigvir is an oncolytic virus that is used in early stages of melanoma and/or the local treatment of skin and subcutaneous metastases of melanoma after surgery; the results will be confirmed and updated by modern clinical studies. For more details and a recent review, please see: Alberts et al. The advent of oncolytic virotherapy in oncology: the Rigvir® story. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2018, 837, 117‑126 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.08.042 .
Hong Kong International Oncology Symposium – Biomarkers and New Therapeutics
Hong Kong International Oncology Symposium – Biomarkers and New Therapeutics｜Webinar
Webinar｜Date: 27th March 2021 (Saturday)｜Time: 5:30 pm – 9:45 pm
