Advancing ORFV-Based Therapeutics to the Clinical Stage

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Orf virus (ORFV) is a parapoxvirus known for strong immunogenicity and safety.
• Previous ORFV applications were hindered by manufacturing and clinical safety concerns.
• Recent advancements have overcome these limitations, enabling new therapeutic uses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent progress in Orf virus (ORFV)-based therapeutics.
• To focus on vaccine development and oncolytic virus therapy (OVT).
• To discuss the impact of the first ORFV clinical trial and future strategies.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature and clinical trial data.
• Assessment of Orf virus (ORFV) manufacturing processes and preclinical evaluations.
• Analysis of Orf virus (ORFV) applications in vaccine development and oncolytic virotherapy.

Main Results:

• The first Orf virus (ORFV)-based COVID-19 vaccine (Prime-2-CoV) has entered human clinical trials, showing feasibility, safety, and immunogenicity.
• Good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant production and preclinical data support broader clinical use.
• Orf virus (ORFV) demonstrates potential as an oncolytic virus therapy, converting 'cold' tumors to 'hot'.

Conclusions:

• Orf virus (ORFV) is a promising platform for next-generation vaccines and therapies.
• Advancements support its use in both human and veterinary medicine.
• Further optimization and challenge mitigation will drive future innovations.