Newsroom · Pancreatic cancer · October 5, 2026

Pancreatic Cancer: VCN-01 Virus Therapy Phase 2b Results

In short: On September 30, 2026, Theriva Biologics announced that the Phase 2b VIRAGE trial of VCN-01, an engineered virus, was published in Nature Medicine. In 112 people with newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding VCN-01 to standard chemotherapy was reported to improve overall survival, progression-free survival and duration of response. Pancreatic cancer still has no cure, and VCN-01 is not an approved treatment.

What was announced

Theriva Biologics announced that results of the VIRAGE trial were published in Nature Medicine on September 30, 2026. The paper is titled "Intravenous hyaluronidase-expressing oncolytic adenovirus with chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer."

The company says that overall survival, progression-free survival (time before the cancer grows again) and duration of response were all improved in people who received VCN-01 with chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone. The improvements were greater in the group that received two doses of VCN-01 given about three months apart.

How the trial was run

VIRAGE is a Phase 2b, randomized, controlled, open-label trial. Open-label means patients and doctors knew who received which treatment. It enrolled 112 people with newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma at 14 sites: 5 in the United States and 9 in Spain.

Comparison group: standard chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, given in 28-day cycles.
VCN-01 group: the same chemotherapy plus intravenous VCN-01, given 7 days before cycle 1 and again 7 days before cycle 4 in the two-dose schedule.

What VCN-01 is

VCN-01 is an engineered adenovirus, a type of virus, designed to infect and attack tumor cells. As the paper title notes, it is built to produce an enzyme called hyaluronidase.

Who reported this, and what is missing

The results were published in a peer-reviewed journal, but the source we read is a press release from Theriva Biologics, the company developing VCN-01. That release does not give the actual survival numbers, hazard ratios or p-values, and it gives no specific side-effect figures. It says only that VCN-01 was well tolerated. Readers who want the numbers should read the Nature Medicine paper itself.

This is a mid-stage trial with 112 people, so it cannot settle whether the treatment works. Larger trials would be needed.

What happens next

The company says a follow-up Phase 2a trial, VIRAGE2, is testing more frequent dosing of VCN-01 (three or more doses, two months apart). It says the first patient was treated in August 2026 and that data are expected in the third quarter of 2027. VCN-01 is not approved for pancreatic cancer.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a cure for pancreatic cancer?

No. Pancreatic cancer has no cure today. VCN-01 is an investigational therapy that has not been approved by the FDA or other regulators, and the VIRAGE results are from a mid-stage trial.

Does VCN-01 improve survival in pancreatic cancer?

The company reports that adding VCN-01 to chemotherapy improved overall survival, progression-free survival and duration of response in the 112-person VIRAGE trial, most clearly with two doses. The trial was open-label and mid-stage, and the press release did not give the numbers, so it is not proof that the treatment works.

Can patients get VCN-01 now?

It is not an approved treatment. People with pancreatic cancer who are interested in trials can ask their oncology team, or search a registry such as ClinicalTrials.gov for recruiting studies.

Read the full Pancreatic cancer report: latest studies, treatments, trials near you, expert care centers and support groups, updated daily.

Sources

Theriva Biologics announces publication of the results from the VIRAGE Phase 2b clinical trial of VCN-01 in metastatic pancreatic cancer published in Nature Medicine. Theriva Biologics via GlobeNewswire, republished by The Manila Times, September 30, 2026