Candel Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CADL) recently presented insights into its oncolytic virus therapy, CAN-3110, at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) conference.
The company’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Francesca Barone, outlined how CAN-3110, which targets cancer cells selectively while sparing healthy tissue, could change treatment approaches for several challenging cancers.
Dr. Barone explained that CAN-3110 was initially developed for recurrent high-grade glioma, as it selectively replicates in cancer cells through a cancer-cell-specific promoter. New data shows that CAN-3110 also has potential in melanoma, particularly for patients who have not responded to existing immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors.
"CAN-3110, when injected in the tumor, significantly reduced tumor burden in melanoma models and activated the immune system," Dr. Barone told Proactive, citing promising preclinical results.
Looking ahead, the company is considering additional applications in cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer and sarcoma. The positive safety and tolerability profile observed in preclinical studies may support broader clinical applications, positioning CAN-3110 as a valuable candidate in combination therapies for patients with limited options.
Candel Therapeutics aims to gather the necessary data to advance CAN-3110 in clinical trials, with a potential path toward addressing multiple resistant cancer types.