VBL Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VBLT) enrolled the first two patients in its Phase 2 trial evaluating VB-111, in combination with nivolumab, for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.
VB-111 is an adenovirus that carries a transgene for the Fas-TNFR-1. Administered intravenously once every six-to-eight weeks, VB-111 targets endothelial cells within the tumor vasculature, potentially making tumors visible to the immune system.
“Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, but immune-based approaches in gastrointestinal cancers have unfortunately been largely unsuccessful,” Dr. Tim Greten, the study’s principal investigator, said in a statement.
“The goal of this Phase 2 study is to investigate whether priming with VB-111, followed by the addition of nivolumab, may induce an anti-tumor immune response in metastatic colorectal cancer, for which there remains a major unmet need,” he added.
