Cancer Innovation Accelerates as Funding Cuts Loom and Biotechs Step Up

Cision Canada

10-07-2025

VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2025 /CNW/ -- USA News Group News Commentary – Cancer rates are rising everywhere, but more dramatically in some places. According to a new analysis of CDC data, Maine currently has the highest rates among US states, while Utah has the lowest. However, another study found that survival rates for cancer patients on immunotherapy depend on their insurance coverage, whether it be through private, Medicaid, or those who are uninsured. With cases for several types of cancers, such as breast cancer, there is plenty of new tech innovation for diagnosis and treatments coming from the private sector. With public resources under pressure, and the cancer research budget for the National Cancer Institute set to be slashed by up to 40%, the oncology landscape is looking towards a new generation of biotechs to step up—including Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA), Immuneering Corporation (NASDAQ: IMRX), Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB), and Calidi Biotherapeutics Inc. (NYSE-American: CLDI).
While U.S. cancer death rates continue to decline, global cancer cases are expected to rise sharply. As well, early-onset diagnoses in younger patients are climbing at a troubling pace. Now, industry analysts are estimating the global oncology drug market could surpass US$900 billion in revenue by 2034.
Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC) recently highlighted survival data and an upcoming KOL webinar that together underscore growing expert and clinical support for its virus-based immunotherapy, pelareorep, in hard-to-treat cancers like metastatic pancreatic and breast cancer.
In first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), pelareorep-based treatment regimens have shown a two-year overall survival rate of 21.9% across pooled data from more than 100 patients—more than double the historical benchmark of 9.2%. In a separate single-arm study combining pelareorep with chemotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor, the objective response rate reached 62% in evaluable patients. No immunotherapy is currently approved in this indication.
"We are no longer in the business of funding proof-of-concept studies," said Jared Kelly, newly-appointed CEO of Oncolytics. "We have meaningful clinical data in hand—not just signals. The survival benefit across multiple tumor types demands a focused approach to take pelareorep directly into registration-enabling trials. We will use our fast-track status to find the most efficient regulatory path forward this summer to advance our platform in a product technology."
HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (mBC) has also shown strong survival numbers. In HR+/HER2- mBC, pelareorep extended median overall survival by more than 10 months across two randomized trials. The BRACELET-1 trial also showed median progression-free survival of 12.1 months, nearly double the 6.4 months in the control arm.
The company recently reinforced its leadership bench with two high-profile appointments—naming Jared Kelly as Chief Executive Officer and Andrew Aromando as Chief Business Officer —as it sharpens its focus on late-stage development and strategic transactions. Both Kelly and Aromando played instrumental roles in Ambrx Biopharma's $2 billion acquisition by Johnson & Johnson, and bring deep experience in value creation, partnerships, and registration pathways in oncology.
"Pelareorep's clinical data across multiple tumors is striking and represents the potential for a true backbone immunotherapy to address many in-need indications," said Kelly. "With a renewed focus and sharpened clinical development plan, we believe we will move pelareorep forward effectively and efficiently to a place where potential partners will see the value of a de-risked immunotherapy."
As CBO, Aromando is now leading global business development and helping shape the company's corporate, clinical, and regulatory strategies. The leadership tandem is expected to prioritize partnering and expansion opportunities while preserving capital efficiency—a strategy well-suited for pelareorep's growing clinical profile.
"I'm thrilled to join Oncolytics at such a pivotal moment in its evolution," said Aromando. "With promising data in difficult-to-treat cancers and a compelling body of clinical evidence in over 1,100 patients, I believe the Company is uniquely positioned to deliver meaningful value to patients and other stakeholders in the near term."
Oncolytics will host a KOL webinar on July 22 featuring leading GI and immuno-oncology experts to discuss pelareorep's data and positioning in pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers. Participating physicians include the GOBLET trial's primary investigator as well as global leaders in immunotherapy and clinical trial design, underscoring the growing interest in pelareorep's mechanism and outcomes.
Pelareorep currently holds FDA Fast Track designation in both mPDAC (pancreatic cancer) and HR+/HER2- mBC (breast cancer), with Orphan Drug status for pancreatic cancer in the U.S. and Europe.
Across more than 1,100 patients treated to date, pelareorep has maintained a favorable safety profile, with most adverse events limited to flu-like symptoms. The drug has shown broad synergy with checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapies and continues to generate immune responses in multiple solid tumor types.
Oncolytics is advancing toward registration-enabling trials and partnership opportunities with a disciplined, investor-aligned approach to growth.
In other recent industry developments and happenings in the market include:
Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA) shared encouraging early data from its Phase 1b trial evaluating paxalisib alongside Keytruda and chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer. The first patient, a 61-year-old woman with lung metastases, experienced a greater than 50% reduction in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) after just one treatment cycle.
"The degree of reduction in tumor cell dissemination markers in just 21 days gives us strong reason for optimism as we continue this clinical trial," said Dr. John Friend, MD, CEO of Kazia Therapeutics. "CTC clusters are emerging as key drivers of metastatic spread—they're 20–100X more efficient at seeding than single CTCs—and the sharp decline we're seeing is truly encouraging. We believe this combination may offer a meaningful early intervention against systemic disease progression."
Notably, both single CTCs and clusters—key drivers of metastasis—were sharply reduced, along with the mesenchymal phenotype often linked to aggressive disease. These initial results echo Kazia's preclinical findings and hint at the potential for meaningful anti-metastatic activity early in treatment.
Immuneering Corporation (NASDAQ: IMRX) has been granted a U.S. composition of matter patent for atebimetinib, a once-daily oral cancer drug designed to overcome resistance and deliver longer-lasting benefits. In an ongoing Phase 2a study, the drug showed a 94% six-month survival rate in first-line pancreatic cancer—compared to 67% with standard care—while maintaining a strong safety profile.
"Our priorities are to make medicines that keep working, so cancer patients keep living, and to make medicines that have fewer side effects, so cancer patients can feel like themselves and live normal lives," said Ben Zeskind, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO of Immuneering. "We have already observed exceptional durability and a markedly favorable tolerability profile in first-line pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib+mGnP, and this is just the beginning of the important impact that we believe atebimetinib and our entire pipeline of deep cyclic inhibitors will have on the treatment of cancer."
The patent provides exclusivity into 2042, with potential extension, supporting Immuneering's broader strategy to advance this "deep cyclic" MEK inhibitor across multiple tumor types.
Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB) has announced that IBTROZI (taletrectinib)—its newly FDA -approved targeted therapy for advanced ROS1+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—has now been added as a Preferred Agent in the latest National Comprehensive Cancer Network ® (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines. This designation applies to both first-line and follow-up treatment, and specifically highlights IBTROZI's benefit for patients with brain metastases and resistance mutations.
"We are very pleased the NCCN acted with such urgency to review and update the NCCN Guidelines to include taletrectinib (IBTROZI) as a preferred option for advanced ROS1-positive NSCLC across treatment lines, with particular recognition of benefit for patients with brain metastases and those with acquired resistance after first-line therapy," said David Hung, M.D., Founder, President and CEO of Nuvation Bio. "These updates address critical needs for patients across their treatment journeys, especially with the prevalence of CNS involvement for those living with ROS1+ NSCLC. Additionally, this version builds further upon a previous guideline update that importantly highlights preferred utilization of ROS1-targeted agents instead of immunotherapy and chemotherapy for these patients."
The update strengthens IBTROZI's position as a next-generation treatment in a rare, aggressive lung cancer that often spreads to the brain.
Calidi Biotherapeutics Inc. (NYSE-American: CLDI) is gaining traction as it advances CLD-401, a next-generation systemic virotherapy armed with CD55-enhanced shielding and an IL-15 superagonist payload to improve immune activation and tumor penetration. Preclinical data presented at ASCO 2025 showed the platform's potential to evade immune clearance, target metastatic tumors, and stimulate both NK and CD8+ T cell responses—supporting its promise as an off-the-shelf immunotherapy for difficult-to-treat cancers. The company recently secured $4.6 million in funding through warrant exercises and reaffirmed its IND submission timeline and partnering goals in a shareholder update.
"Looking ahead, our roadmap for the next 18 months includes multiple critical milestones," said Eric Poma, PhD, CEO of Calidi in a shareholder letter.
"We are working to complete IND-enabling studies ahead of an IND filing by the end of 2026 for our lead RedTail candidate that delivers IL15 superagonist to tumor sites, CLD-401. Our clinical strategy includes an aggressive dose-escalation study designed to swiftly demonstrate efficacy and validate the systemic administration of Redtail in patients with metastatic disease."
With clinical readiness targeted for 2026, Calidi appears well-positioned at the intersection of innovation, execution, and immuno-oncology momentum.
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