07:55 AM EST, 03/05/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ( ONCY ) on Tuesday announced it has submitted an amendment to GOBLET to initiate a new Phase 1/2 cohort evaluating pelareorep in combination with modified Folfirinox (mFolfironix) with and without atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

This amendment will be reviewed by the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI; Germany's regulatory body) for approval before patient enrollment can begin. The cohort, the fifth of the GOBLET gastrointestinal cancer study, is being supported by the US$5 million Therapeutic Accelerator Award from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). Evaluation of this treatment approach will complement Oncolytics' ongoing development of pelareorep, atezolizumab, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel in PDAC, which is expected to advance to a registrational study later this year.

"We are enthusiastic to have the support of PanCAN to expand the evaluation of pelareorep in pancreatic cancer and explore mFolfirinox as another combination that could improve outcomes for patients. Notably, this patient population is newly diagnosed patients who are receiving first-line treatment. Chemotherapies, including either mFolfirinox or gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, are the backbone treatment regimens of pancreatic cancer therapy. Evaluating pelareorep in combination with these widely used regimens is an important step in our broad clinical development program," said Dr. Matt Coffey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oncolytics.