冈山大学等开发出用病毒破坏食道癌细胞的新药

Core Viewpoint - A genetically modified virus that selectively destroys cancer cells has been developed for the treatment of esophageal cancer, showing promising results in clinical trials with patients who cannot undergo standard cancer treatments [2][4]. Group 1: Drug Development and Clinical Trials - The drug, named "Telomelysin," is a recombinant adenovirus designed to specifically target and attack cancer cells [4]. - Clinical trials began in 2020, focusing on patients who are difficult to treat with conventional cancer therapies, administering Telomelysin three times during radiation therapy [5]. - Results from the trials indicated that after 18 months, 18 out of 36 patients experienced complete cancer remission, significantly higher than the approximately 20% remission rate typically seen with radiation therapy alone [6]. Group 2: Regulatory Approval and Market Potential - The research team from Okayama University has applied for production and sales approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which, if granted, would make this the world's first treatment of its kind [2][6]. - The rapid proliferation of the virus, which can multiply 100,000 to 1,000,000 times within a day, enhances the effectiveness of radiation therapy [5].