Engineered virus takes on liver cancer when standard treatment fails

NCT ID NCT01387555

First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial investigates whether JX-594 (Pexa-Vec), a virus modified to attack cancer cells and boost the immune system, combined with best supportive care, can help people with advanced liver cancer live longer. The study enrolls adults whose liver cancer has progressed or who could not tolerate the standard drug sorafenib. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either the virus therapy plus supportive care or supportive care alone, and their survival is compared.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
JX-594 (Pexa-Vec) – a modified virus designed to infect and destroy cancer cells and stimulate the immune system
What this could lead to
If successful, this could provide a new treatment option for people with advanced liver cancer who have stopped responding to standard therapy, potentially extending survival.
What could go wrong
This is a Phase 2 trial with a relatively small number of participants. The virus-based therapy may cause flu-like symptoms or other side effects, and it is not yet proven to improve survival.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Asan Medical Center

    Seoul, 138-736, South Korea

  • Billings Clinic

    Billings, Montana, United States

  • CHU d'Estaing

    Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, 63003, France

  • California Pacific Medical Center

    San Francisco, California, United States

  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Hôpital Saint André

    Bordeaux, Aquitaine, 33000, France

  • Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

    Orange, California, 92868, United States

  • Gabrail Cancer Center

    Canton, Ohio, United States

  • Hôpital Purpan

    Toulouse, Midi-Pyrenees, 31059, France

  • Hôpital Saint Antoine, CPP Ile de France V

    Paris, Île-de-France Region, 75571, France

  • Hôpital de la Croix Rousse

    Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 69317, France

  • Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg - Hôpital Civil

    Strasbourg, Alsace, 67091, France

  • Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

    Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, 55131, Germany

  • Juravinski Cancer Centre

    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  • Klinikum Rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München

    München, Bavaria, 81675, Germany

  • Korea University Ansan Hospital

    Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, 425-707, South Korea

  • Korea University Guro Hospital

    Seoul, South Korea

  • Kyungpook National University Hospital

    Daegu, South Korea

  • Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

    Hanover, Lower Saxony, 30625, Germany

  • Montefiore Medical Center

    The Bronx, New York, United States

  • Moores University of California San Diego Cancer Center

    La Jolla, California, 92093, United States

  • National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

    Tainan, Taiwan

  • National Taiwan University Hospital

    Taipei, Taiwan

  • Ottawa Hopsital Research Institute

    Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

  • Pusan National University Hospital

    Pusan, South Korea

  • Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital

    Yangsan, South Korea

  • Queen Mary Hospital

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

  • Saint Joseph's Hospital

    Paterson, New Jersey, United States

  • Samsung Medical Center

    Seoul, South Korea

  • Seoul National University Hospital

    Seoul, South Korea

  • Severance Hospital,Yonsei University Health System

    Seoul, South Korea

  • Stanford Hospital and Clinics

    Stanford, California, United States

  • Taipei Veterans General Hospital

    Taipei, Taiwan

  • The Methodist Hospital Department of Surgery

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

  • University Hospitals Case Medical Center

    Cleveland, Ohio, United States

  • University of Alberta

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7, Canada

  • University of British Columbia

    Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

  • University of Chicago Medical Center

    Chicago, Illinois, United States

  • Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

    Hamburg, 20246, Germany

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