Rigvir immunotherapy for cancer, uses an oncolytic, non-pathogenic, ECHO-7 virus, originally adapted for melanoma where there has been no genetic modification. It was approved and registered for virotherapy, an active and specific immunotherapy, in Latvia from 2004 until 2019.
You may question the Latvia approval, but recently it was approved in Georgia (both are EU member states) and much work is ongoing on Rigvir in the highly disciplined German Health Market.
In a research study (1) reporting in 2015, patients treated with Rigvir had a 4.39-6.57-fold lower mortality than those untreated.
There were no untoward side-effects nor was discontinuation of treatment necessary for anyone.
The researchers concluded that Rigvir significantly prolongs survival in early-stage melanoma patients without any side effect.
Rigvir was developed in the 1960s and 1970s and patented in 2002.
However, on May 31st 2019 the State Agency of Medicines in Latvia suspended the licence for ECHO-7.
Several alternative clinics in German and Mexico continue to use RIGVIR.
What is an oncolytic virotherapy?
Oncolytic viruses kill cancer cells in two ways:
Firstly, they are modified so they just infect cancer cells where they replicate rapidly and cause the cancer cells to burst, or lyse.
Secondly, they can also act like a vaccine, releasing numerous antigens to the cancer. These are picked up by, and enhance, the existing immune system so that it can better attack the cancer.
Go To: Oncolytic viruses in cancer treatment
The FDA in America has just approved T-VEC for melanoma after a phase III clinical trial. No such luck for Regvir.
Cancers originally treated by Regvir
It is important to understand that RIGVIR® is a live, adapted, non-pathogenic and not genetically modified virus. As such it does not contain antibiotics, stimulants or potentially toxic substances.
It is given by injection into muscle tissue and has been used for the treatment of melanoma, cancers of stomach, colorectal cancers, pancreas, kidney, uterus, bladder, lung, prostate and several types of sarcoma.
Treatment centers
There is an International Virotherapy Centre in Latvia and you can find out more at www.rigvir.com.
In Mexico the Hope4cancer Institute (Dr Jiminez) uses it and in German it is used by the Medical Center Mommsenstrasse (Dr. Kalden)
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Ref:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26193376
2. An overview on virotherapy