ONCOLYTIC VIRUS FOR NSCLC 

(Reuters) - Oncolytics Biotech Inc said that in an ongoing mid-stage trial of its experimental lung cancer drug, 95% of the patients enrolled so far have experienced a reduction in the size of their tumors.

The drug, Reolysin, was used intravenously in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients suffering from metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.

"Of 20 evaluable patients, 19 (95%) exhibited overall tumor shrinkage," the company said today in a statement. The mean shrinkage was by 33.7%.

There have been nine partial responses, nine patients with stable disease, and three with progressive disease, for a disease control rate of 86%, the company reports.

The study is still enrolling patients.

"Based on these findings we intend to continue to look at Reolysin as a treatment for cancers of the lung and cancers that metastasize to the lung," Chief Executive Brad Thompson said.

The results further suggest that Reolysin may have potential use in pre-surgical settings, the company said.

The company's website says the drug "is a proprietary variant of the reovirus, an acronym for Respiratory Enteric Orphan Virus, which is widely found in the environment. By adulthood, most people have been exposed to the reovirus."

"In clinical trials," the company says, "Reolysin has been shown to be well-tolerated, with patients exhibiting only mild, flu-like symptoms. Reolysin has been used alone and in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for various cancers, including head and neck cancers in an ongoing Phase III clinical trial."