placebo + valacyclovir

placebo + valacyclovir is a combination intervention used as the control arm in clinical trials sponsored by Candel Therapeutics, specifically for the treatment of intermediate-to-high-risk localized prostate cancer. This regimen consists of a placebo intratumoral injection, administered via trans-rectal ultrasound-guided injection into the prostate, followed by a 14-day course of oral valacyclovir. In the context of Candel's gene therapy platform, valacyclovir is an antiviral prodrug intended to be converted into a cytotoxic metabolite by the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) enzyme. However, in this placebo arm, the absence of the HSV-tk gene (which is delivered by the active agent CAN-2409 in the experimental arm) ensures that valacyclovir remains non-toxic to the tumor cells. This combination serves as a comparator to evaluate the specific therapeutic benefit of CAN-2409 when added to standard-of-care radiation therapy.

Other names

Placebo + valacyclovir