J.D.,
I believe that ONTAK is a combination Interleukin-2/diphtheria toxin protein, not a living bacteria. That would put it in a somewhat related, but distinct, category of agents.
The elegant aspect of the purely bacteriological approaches of Drs. Rouslahti, Bermudez, etc., as I understand them, is that they propose to use perfectly virulent (albeit genetically altered) micro-organisms to infect tumor cells preferentially. OXGN's anaerobic bacteria approach is closely related, only requiring the further condition that tumors be thoroughly de-vascularized.
ONTAK has the considerable virtue of being a much more mature agent, on the verge of almost certain FDA approval, but it is still, at bottom, a chemotherapeutic agent, albeit a well-targeted one.
Regards,
RB |
