Ann: VLA update on CAVATAK KEYTRUDA Combination trials - ESMO-VLA.AX, page-15

For those of us who under-appreciate the importance of the MITCI safety profile (ad nauseum), the following is an excerpt from the Bioshares report in April.

"Cavatak Plus Yervoy Delivers Far Better Safety Than Yervoy Alone.
Viralytics also released other positive news. Not only has the combination therapy with Yervoy significantly improved tumour response, but it has also improved the side effect profile of Yervoy.
In a post-market study with Yervoy which followed 298 patients between 2011-2013, 26% of those patients experienced a Grade III adverse event or higher. However, in the first 11 patients treated with Yervoy and Cavatak in Viralytics' MITCI study, there has only been one Grade III event (attributed to Yervoy) and no more
serious reactions to the therapy.
So why would this be the case? Yervoy and other checkpoint inhibitors take the brakes off the immune system so that they can
recognise cancer cells. However, ‘unlocking’ the immune system produces an overactive immune system that starts to attack healthy cells as well. This occurs in particular with the first generation checkpoint inhibitor Yervoy. A theory is that Cavatak, which is a virus, releases a high level of tumour antigens as it destroys the tumours which keeps the immune system better occupied rather than moving on to attack healthy cells.
Side effects with checkpoint inhibitors are becoming an issue, particularly when they are used in combination. Combining check-
point inhibitors Opdivo and Yervoy generates serious adverse events (Grade III or IV) in more than 50% of patients. "

The latest trial results for MITCI show only 1 Yervoy-related SAE across 17 patients. No other treatment has come close to achieving such an excellent safety profile.
With this, the quality of life can be maintained for patients during treatment.
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