Trogenix recently hosted a landmark workshop at The Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, uniting pioneering experts in neurosurgery, gene therapy, and oncology to advance its innovative glioblastoma (GBM) treatment programme.
The workshop brought together Dr. Faye Robertson and Professor Paul Brennan from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE), who will lead Trogenix’s upcoming Phase 1/2 study, with renowned gene therapy and Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) specialists Professor Krzysztof Bankiewicz, Professor Russell Lonser, and Professor J. Bradley Elder from Ohio State University (OSU).
The full-day session marked a crucial milestone in preparing for Trogenix’s planned UK and US Phase 1/2 clinical study, scheduled to begin in 2025. Building on compelling preclinical results, the assembled experts focused on defining key elements of the clinical study design, including patient selection criteria, optimal drug dosing protocols, and CED delivery techniques. The collaborative discussions defined clear study objectives and endpoints, while aligning site capabilities and standardising practices between institutions with the ultimate goal to bring new treatments to GBM patients as safely and rapidly as possible.
Glioblastoma remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat. With devastating survival rates declining from 30% at year one to just 4.7% at year five, there is an urgent need for new innovative strategies to treat these cancers. Trogenix’s transformative approach leverages its proprietary Synthetic Super Enhancer (SSE) Platform, Odysseus, to deliver precision viral immunotherapy directly to tumour cells. The upcoming clinical study will utilise resected tissue to provide rapid insights into safety, mechanism of action, and efficacy.
The workshop concluded with strong alignment between the team on the study design and next steps, setting a great foundation for this groundbreaking clinical trial. While GBM represents Trogenix’s initial focus, the company is simultaneously advancing programmes in colorectal cancer liver metastases, hepatocellular carcinoma, and lung squamous cell carcinoma. With plans to submit five Investigational New Drug (IND) applications over the next five years, Trogenix is working to transform cancer treatment from chronic disease management to potentially curative one-time treatments.
At the workshop (left to right): Professor Krzysztof Bankiewicz (Professor of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University); Professor Paul Brennan (Professor of Clinical and Experimental Neurosurgery and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh); Ken Macnamara (CEO, Trogenix); Bryn Dixon (VP of Clinical Development, Trogenix); Professor Steven Pollard (Founder & CSO, Trogenix); Professor Russell Lonser (Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute, Ohio State University); Geoff Brooks (Head of Clinical Operations, Weatherden); Dr. Faye Robertson (Phase I/II Study Chief Investigator and Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh); Juan Manuel Iglesias (CTO, Trogenix); and Professor J. Bradley Elder (Director of Neurosurgical Oncology and Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Ohio State University).