Phillip Koo:

We talked last time about the importance of these meetings, and ASCO is one of the biggest cancer meetings that is hosted every year in Chicago. One of the major studies that was actually produced or presented was something called CAN-2409. So, this is for patients who have localized disease. Can you tell us more about this study?

Zachary Klaassen: 

Yeah, thanks so much, Phil. And I'll get into that study in a minute. Again, just thanks to PCF and for your time for hosting this. Again, everybody on the call, just a tremendous opportunity to learn and to educate each other. And the studies we'll be talking about tonight, Becky is also going to send out a UroToday link.

So, we do coverage for these meetings for patients and providers as well. And so, everything we're discussing tonight, if you miss something you want to read about, the full write-up will be available as well, and it's already available online. But Becky will also provide that too. So just want to throw that out there. 

The CAN-2409 trial was very interesting. It was one of the oral presentations. So basically, it's one of the big studies presented for prostate cancer at ASCO. And basically, what the study was, it was a phase 3 randomized trial, where everybody was planned to get radiotherapy as their primary treatment for localized cancer, and what they did was they randomized patients to this CAN-2409. This is a non-replicating adenovirus.

Plus valacyclovir, which is an antiviral medicine, oral medicine. So, patients either received this three treatments, this was three injections of this adenovirus right into the tumor itself, into the prostate, plus 14 days of valacyclovir. The control group was patients that were receiving radiotherapy, valacyclovir and the placebo.

And what they found was really interesting. They found that this injection, compared to those that did not get the injection, had an improvement in the time from prostate cancer recurrence or death, a 30% improvement, as well as decreasing prostate cancer mortality by 38%. So, this is, it takes a long time to get this follow-up for these kinds of outcomes.

So, there's something there in the boosting of the immune system with this non-replicating adenovirus injected directly into the tumor, plus this 14 days of valacyclovir, plus the radiation that just is creating an immunotherapy reaction. That clearly is producing important downstream outcomes. So really exciting results, somewhat surprising, honestly, but something we'll be keeping an eye on for sure.

Phillip Koo: 

Great, any comments, were there any adverse effects or things to be concerned about for patients who might receive this?

Zachary Klaassen: 

Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary, a little bit of, you know, we're injecting a virus, we're taking this valacyclovir, a little bit of antiviral reactions, flu symptoms for a few patients, all minor symptoms. 

This is also, everybody's getting radiotherapy, so the usual side effects you may get with radiotherapy may be some bowel toxicity or urinary toxicity, but nothing out the ordinary that we would expect from radiotherapy and this cocktail of treatments. So, very well tolerated.

Phillip Koo: 

That's exciting to see these trials that, you know, for the listeners out there, you have the drug versus the placebo, and you see this effect, which we're seeing here with this drug called CAN-2409. So, this is very exciting that something like this up front can really have some improvements in the longer-term outcomes for patients. So very exciting, awesome. Thank you.