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Technology & Products
HSV1716
Crusade's lead product is an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, HSV1716
which kills tumor cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. This
virus has been in clinical trial in 43 patients with glioma, in
5 with melanoma and in 20 patients with squamous cell carcinoma
of the head and neck. There have been no observed side effects related
to the use of the virus. Crusade has been given approval by the
European Regulatory Authorities for a pivotal efficacy trial of
HSV1716 in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
Concurrently, Crusade will be conducting a variety of clinical trials
to further its knowledge and in a quest to find effective treatments.
These trials will commence during the coming years.
Harnessing – HSV1716
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) is a common
human pathogen which naturally infects most of the population.
HSV1 normally causes few problems
apart from cold sores but when it infects the brain it rapidly
replicates and causes encephalitis.
Our product HSV1716 is a modified version of HSV1
that is unable to replicate in the brain (or in any other organ
of the body) although it retains the ability to infect.
HSV1716 lacks a single gene encoding a protein
(ICP34.5) which is essential for virus replication and virulence
in normal cells and tissues.
In cancer cells, the function of ICP34.5 is compensated
by a cellular protein
HSV1716 can be grown to high titres in tissue culture
with average yields of 109 plaque forming units (pfu)/ml and particle
to pfu ratios of <10:1 and is susceptible to the antivirals
acyclovir and gancylclovir
Safety of HSV1716
A total of sixty eight patients have been treated
with HSV1716 and none has shown any symptoms of toxicity associated
with virus infection.
HSV1716 has been injected into brain tumors and
into normal brain surrounding tumor post tumor resection and no
adverse events have occurred. This is the most convincing test
of the safety of HSV1716. HSV1716 is treatable with Acyclovir
In our opinion, safety is of
paramount importance and we have done everything possible to ensure
that this virus is safe for human use.
