Oncolys BioPharma launches first virotherapy for esophageal cancer in Japan

Oncolys BioPharma has begun marketing Telomelysin in Japan, marking the launch of the first virotherapy treatment specifically for esophageal cancer. The medication utilizes a laboratory-modified virus designed to target and infect cancer cells.

Approved by Japanese health authorities in June, the treatment is intended for patients who are not candidates for curative surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. The virus used in the drug was developed by researcher Toshiyoshi Fujiwara of Okayama University.

Development and production of the product have been ongoing since 2004. The estimated cost is approximately 9.3 million yen, or roughly 50,000 euros, per patient.