An Open-Label, Multiple-Center, Phase IIa/IIb Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of VG161 as Monotherapy and in Combination With Nivolumab for Treatment of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma or Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

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Trial Details

Sponsor: Virogin Biotech Canada Ltd (industry)

Phase: 2

Start date: Jan. 24, 2024

Planned enrollment: 97

Trial ID: NCT05223816
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More trial details at ClinicalTrials.gov More info

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Investigational Drug AI Analysis

chevron Show for: VG161 (Recombinant Human IL12/15-PDL1B Oncolytic HSV-1 Injection)

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Goal: Evaluate the safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity of intratumoral VG161 alone or with nivolumab in previously treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

Patients: Adults with advanced, metastatic, or unresectable HCC or ICC that has progressed after specified prior systemic therapy, ECOG performance status 0–1, a measurable lesion, and at least one safely injectable lesion measuring at least 15 mm. HCC patients must have received at least two prior treatment lines; ICC patients must have received chemotherapy and, when indicated, IDH1-targeted therapy or PD-1 inhibition.

Design: Open-label, multicenter, nonrandomized phase IIa/IIb study with a safety run-in, separate single-arm HCC and ICC monotherapy cohorts, and an HCC/ICC combination cohort. The monotherapy cohorts use interim response-based rules to determine whether enrollment continues.

Treatments: VG161 is injected directly into a tumor at 1.0 × 10^8 plaque-forming units on three days. The combination cohort also receives intravenous nivolumab on days 8 and 15 of each cycle, with an option to switch to 480 mg every four weeks after cycle one. VG161 is an investigational oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 engineered to destroy tumor cells and stimulate immunity through IL-12, IL-15, and PD-1/PD-L1 pathway blockade. In a small, nonrandomized phase 1 analysis of previously treated HCC, 6 of 34 evaluable patients had a partial response by modified RECIST; benefit over standard treatment remains unproven. Nivolumab is a PD-1–blocking antibody intended to enhance antitumor T-cell activity.

Outcomes: Primary measures are adverse-event incidence and severity in the safety run-in, objective response rate in the HCC and ICC monotherapy cohorts, and three-month progression-free survival in the HCC cohort. Secondary measures include progression-free and overall survival, duration of response, safety in the monotherapy cohorts, blood VG161 levels and viral shedding, immunogenicity, and circulating cytokine and immune-cell markers; most are assessed over 12 months.

Burden on patient: Moderate to high. Patients need repeated visits for image-guided intratumoral injections over three days, with additional intravenous treatment visits in the combination cohort, plus imaging and safety monitoring. Serial blood sampling for viral, pharmacologic, and immune assessments adds burden, particularly in the safety run-in. The number of cycles and exact visit frequency are not specified.

Last updated: Sep 2026

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Sites (3)

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Mayo Clinic

Phoenix, Arizona, 85054, United States

No email / No phone

Status: Recruiting

Mayo Clinic Florida

Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, United States

No email / No phone

Status: Recruiting

Mayo Clinic

Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

No email / No phone

Status: Recruiting

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