In October of 2012 Vectorlogics merged with DNAtrix, a Houston-based firm also active in the SBIR program. With facilities in Alabama and Maryland, VectorLogics, Inc.,is a privately-held biotechnology firm is focused on developing products for the treatment of cancer and liver diseases using attenuated viral delivery systems. The first product candidate that VLI has under development is an oncolytic virotherapeutic for the treatment of ovarian and brain cancer. This treatment uses a conditionally replicative, infectivity-enhanced adenovector and is delivered to the tumor region to kill the cancer cells. Outstanding proof of principle has already been seen in ovarian cancer and gliomas predicting that the increased efficacy and safety of unique patented approach will yield similar success in the treatment of other cancers. A Phase I dose escalation clinical trial was concluded on 21 patients at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center in early 2009. The clinical trial far exceeded expectations. It not only has shown that the drug candidate is safe, but one third of the patients had a reduced CA125 marker. Presently, we are moving ahead with a Phase I/II clinical trial that will combine AdÎ24-RGD with standard chemotherapy. VLIâs second product candidate is an orally-administered hepatitis therapeutic vaccine based on attenuated avian virus (IBDV) that causes no disease in humans. A phase II clinical trial conducted in Hungary reported the safety and efficacy of IBDV superinfection (viral competition) therapy in 42 acute hepatitis patients (HBV and HCV). IBDV tratment also stabilized and/or improved the life threatening complications of cirrhotic hepatitis patients. Superinfection therapy combined with oral delivery of this novel drug candidate has the potential to treat chronic HBV and HCV hepatitis, and other viral pathogens affecting millions of people worldwide. The first product will capitalize on the absence of effective treatment for chronic hepatitis. VLI is in the process of designing a comprehensive program of preclinical and clinical activity to progress this interesting product opportunity. This will include the design of Phase II and pivotal clinical trials to develop and test the IBDV superinfection therapy in advanced hepatitis patients who exhausted conventional treatments. Consequently, this product is unique and has the potential to result in the development of a new class of drugs
