Stage IIA Skin Melanoma Treatment With ECHO-7 Oncolytic Virus Rigvir

Melanoma is a global problem due to the rising numbers of skin melanoma cases. Current treatment guidelines for patients with stage IIA melanoma recommend only observation after surgery. In this report, the authors describe a patient with stage IIA skin melanoma treated with surgery and Rigvir virotherapy. Two years after the patient discovered a brown spot on the right cheek, surgery was indicated because the mass had started to ulcerate. Rigvir virotherapy was applied both before and after surgery. Observations made more than 7 years after surgery indicated no signs of disease progression. This case report illustrates an early treatment approach. Neoadjuvant treatment for early-stage melanoma is gaining more interest in both scientific and medical communities; therefore, the authors believe it is relevant to share their observations.

A progressive stage IIIB melanoma treated with oncolytic ECHO-7 virus: A case report

Sorokins V., Tilgase A., Olmane E., Isajevs S., Zablocka T., Olmane E., Rasa A., Alberts P.

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer form with a grave prognosis. Current results suggest that oncolytic virus treatment of melanoma has a high therapeutic potential. ECHO-7 (Rigvir) is the first oncolytic virus registered in Latvia. A female patient was diagnosed with stage IIIB melanoma in December 2012, over 9.4 years ago. After the first excision and re-excision, the patient had several recurrences and disease progressions. After the patient had received surgical treatment in 2014, ECHO-7 virus oncolytic virotherapy was started. Since then, the patient has experienced only one more disease progression episode in May 2015 and has been stable for over 60 months. The patient has not received any other treatment than surgery and oncolytic virotherapy. No severe adverse events have been reported during virotherapy. The present case suggests that ECHO-7 virotherapy is an effective treatment of skin melanoma.

Adrenal Gland and Gastric Malignant Melanoma without Evidence of Skin Lesion Treated with the Oncolytic Virus Rigvir

Proboka G., Tilgase A., Isajevs S., Zablocka T., Olmane E., Rasa A., Alberts P.

Adrenal gland melanoma is an extremely rare diagnosis with less than 20 cases reported. The criteria for diagnosing adrenal gland melanoma include involvement of only one adrenal gland, presence of melanin pigment in the histological examination of the tumor tissue, no primary melanoma tumor in any other organ, and no history of resection of pigmented lesions. However, it is complicated to rule out melanoma of unknown primary origin. Here we report a female patient who at the age of 75 years was admitted to hospital due to suspicion of adrenal and gastric tumor. The largest tumor was found in the adrenal gland, thus leading to the diagnosis of primary adrenal gland melanoma presenting metastases in the stomach. The melanoma was BRAF wild type. Due to the rarity of this disease, there is no standard treatment. After two subsequent surgeries, treatment with the ECHO-7 oncolytic virus Rigvir was started. The patient has received oncolytic virotherapy for 5 years and 1 month and has been stable since then with good tolerability. The therapy is still ongoing. Adrenal gland melanoma is an extremely rare diagnosis and therefore it is important to discuss the diagnostic criteria and possible treatments.

ECHO-7 oncolytic virus Rigvir® in an adjuvant setting for stage I uveal melanoma; A retrospective case report

Jaunalksne I., Brokāne L., Petroška D., Rasa A., Alberts P.

This report describes a stage I uveal melanoma patient treated with oncolytic virus Rigvir as an adjuvant therapy.

Combination treatment with nivolumab and Rigvir of a progressive stage IIC skin melanoma patient

Brokāne L., Jaunalksne I., Tilgase A., Olmane E., Petroška D., Rasa A., Alberts P.

Advances in the understanding of cancer immunotherapy and the development of multiple checkpoint inhibitors have dramatically changed the current landscape of cancer treatment. However, checkpoint inhibitors actually help only the minority of patients. Combining checkpoint inhibitors with oncolytic virotherapy can be a gamechanger. Multiple viruses are currently being tested in clinical trials in combination with anti-PD-1 or antiCTLA-4 antibodies, and thus far the results have been encouraging, particularly, response rate of combined therapy with checkpoint inhibitors (PD1) may exceed 60%. While the first finalized registration studies combining virus and Checkpoint inhibitors should be expected not faster than in 2022, RIGVIR is already successfully used by doctors, thus improving the efficacy of Checkpoint inhibitors not causing additional side effects. Please, be familiar with recent publication – case report about a 35‐year‐old male patient who was diagnosed with stage IIC skin melanoma that rapidly progressed after surgery. Treatment was continued with radiotherapy, which did not stop further spread of disease and the patient was put on a combination of nivolumab and Rigvir. Subsequently, the progression has slowed.

Melanoma unknown primary brain metastasis treatment with ECHO-7 oncolytic virus RIGVIR^®: a case report

Proboka, G., Tilgase, A., Isajevs, S., Rasa, A., Alberts, P.

Melanoma is considered an aggressive malignancy with a tendency of forming metastasis in the brain. Less than 10% of all melanoma cases present with unknown primary tumor location. This diagnose is yet to be fully understood, because there are only theoretical assumptions about the nature of the disease…

Pre-registration RIGVIR^® clinical study summary

Clinical studies of RIGVIR^® began in 1968 in Riga, Latvia