Herpes virus strains for gene therapy

• US 7,223,593 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2001
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BioVex Group, Inc. (Amgen Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BioVex Ltd. (Amgen Inc.)
• Inventors: Coffin, Robert Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): WEHBE, ANNE MARIE SABRINA
• Application Number:
  US10/181,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20030091537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/320.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/55516 Proteins; Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/55522 Cytokines; Lymphokines; Interferons
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/763 Herpes virus
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 48/00 Medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases; Gene therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/00 Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/02 for peripheral neuropathies
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/28 for treating neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, e.g. nootropic agents, cognition enhancers, drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/00 Antiinfectives, i.e. antibiotics, antiseptics, chemotherapeutics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/04 specific for metastasis
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 37/04 Immunostimulants
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/86 Viral vectors
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/869 Herpesviral vectors
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/16021 Viruses as such, e.g. new isolates, mutants or their genomic sequences
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/16033 Use of viral protein as therapeutic agent other than vaccine, e.g. apoptosis inducing or anti-inflammatory
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/16632 Use of virus as therapeutic agent, other than vaccine, e.g. as cytolytic agent
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2710/16643 viral genome or elements thereof as genetic vector
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 7/00 Viruses; Bacteriophages; Compositions thereof; Preparation or purification thereof preparing medicinal viral antigen or antibody compositions, e.g. virus vaccines, A61K39/00

Abstract

The present invention provides a herpes virus with improved oncolytic properties which comprises a gene encoding an immunomodulatory cytokine and which lacks a functional ICP34.5 gene and a functional ICP47 encoding gene.

Claims

1. A herpes simplex virus which:

(i) comprises a gene encoding an immunostimulatory protein;

(ii) lacks a functional ICP34.5 encoding gene and a functional ICP47 encoding gene;

(iii) is replication competent in tumor cells; and

(iv) is derived from HSV1 JS1 as deposited at the European collection of cell cultures (ECAAC) under accession number 01010209.

2. A virus according to claim 1, wherein said immunostimulatory protein is GM-CSF.

3. A pharmaceutical composition comprising as active ingredient a virus according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.

4. HSV1 strain JS1 as deposited at the European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC) under accession number 01010209, or an HSV1 strain derived therefrom.