Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (Nasdaq: ONCY) announced on November 9, 2026, that translational data from a Phase 1b/2 trial involving relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients will be presented at the 68th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. The presentation, titled "Pelareorep induces innate and adaptive antiviral immune activation in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: Single-cell analysis from a Phase 1b/2 trial," is scheduled for December 12, 2026.
The trial evaluated two treatment cohorts. Cohort 1 received bortezomib (BOR), dexamethasone (DEX), and pembrolizumab (Pemb). Cohort 2 received pelareorep in combination with BOR, DEX, and Pemb. Patients in the study had a median of four prior lines of therapy, with a range between three and eleven.
Single-cell sequencing data from the trial indicated that myeloid cells demonstrated enhanced antigen-presenting activity, characterized by increased CD80 expression and reduced FCGR2B expression. This suggests an improved ability to stimulate antitumor T cell responses. Additionally, multiple myeloma cells exhibited increased apoptotic and p53 signaling, as well as reduced MYC pathway activity.
The data also showed notable increases in populations of CD8 effector memory (CD8 EM) T cells and upregulation of genes linked to T cell activation, antiviral activity, and cytotoxic function. Patients who showed a clinical response to treatment displayed greater expansion of CD8 EM T cells, along with lower levels of CD8 T cell exhaustion and terminal differentiation compared to non-responders.
Oncolytics Biotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing pelareorep, an intravenously delivered double-stranded RNA immunotherapeutic agent. The company is advancing pelareorep in combination with chemotherapy and/or checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic gastrointestinal cancers, where it has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for colorectal, anal, and pancreatic cancer.
