Oncolytics Biotech(R) Inc. Collaborators Present Positive Phase II Sarcoma Trial Results at ASCO Annu...( CALGARY June 1 / Oncolytics Biotech I...)

CALGARY, June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX: ONC, NASDAQ: ONCY) announced that interim results of a Phase II study of intravenous REOLYSIN(R) in patients with sarcomas metastatic to the lung were presented May 30, 2009 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. The meeting is being held in Orlando, Florida from May 29 to June 2, 2009.

The presentation, entitled "A Phase II Study of Intravenous REOLYSIN (Wild-type Reovirus) in the Treatment of Patients with Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcomas Metastatic to the Lung" was delivered by Dr. Monica Mita, the study principal investigator at the Institute of Drug Development (IDD), the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center, (UTHSC), San Antonio, Texas.

The interim results demonstrate that the treatment has been well tolerated, with 15 of 36, or 42% of evaluable patients experiencing stable disease (SD) for more than 16 weeks, including five patients who have had SD for more than 24 weeks. One patient had SD for more than 80 weeks. Oncolytics reported on May 12, 2009, that full enrolment of 52 patients was completed, at which time nine patients were continuing on study.

"The ASCO data are very encouraging, both in terms of efficacy in patients with sarcoma, and in those with other tumor histologies in whom the IDD group are investigating various REOLYSIN regimens," said Dr. Frank Giles, Director, IDD, and Deputy Director, CTRC at UTHSCSA.

Additional REOLYSIN results presented

Two additional poster presentations covering positive results of REOLYSIN trials were also presented at the ASCO meeting on May 30, 2009.

Dr. Johann de Bono and colleagues delivered a poster presentation entitled "A Phase I Study of the Combination of Intravenous Reolysin (REO) and Gemci
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