{"entity":{"id":"oncolytic-plus-pd1","kind":"pairing","name":"Oncolytic virus + PD-1 blockade","aka":[],"tldr":"An oncolytic virus blows up tumour cells and inflames the tumour; PD-1 blockade then exploits the inflammation.","summary":"This combination pairs Oncolytic viruses with Immune checkpoint inhibitors in Melanoma: the virus blows up tumour cells and inflames the tumour, and PD-1 blockade then exploits the inflammation. The mechanism is that viral lysis releases antigens and virus-encoded GM-CSF, and the resulting interferon response upregulates PD-L1, which nivolumab blocks. RP1 (Vusolimogene oderparepvec) plus Nivolumab received accelerated approval in August 2026 for PD-1-refractory melanoma on the IGNYTE study, which produced responses including in uninjected lesions. By contrast, Talimogene laherparepvec plus pembrolizumab did not improve outcomes in the first-line setting (MASTERKEY-265), showing that the treatment setting matters.","asOf":"2026-09-04","links":[{"label":"MASTERKEY-265: talimogene laherparepvec plus pembrolizumab in advanced melanoma, phase 3 (Journal of Clinical Oncology 2023)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.22.00343"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["melanoma"],"sections":[],"technologies":[],"targets":[],"drugs":["vusolimogene-oderparepvec","nivolumab","talimogene-laherparepvec"],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":["paper-chesney-j-clin-oncol"],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"a":"oncolytic-virus","b":"checkpoint-inhibitor","rationale":"Viral lysis releases antigens and encoded GM-CSF; interferon response upregulates PD-L1, which nivolumab blocks.","evidence":"Accelerated approval in refractory setting; negative in first line for older agent.","pairingType":"combination"},"route":"/pairings/oncolytic-plus-pd1/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"melanoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Melanoma","route":"/cancers/melanoma/"}],"drug":[{"id":"nivolumab","kind":"drug","name":"Nivolumab","route":"/drugs/nivolumab/"},{"id":"talimogene-laherparepvec","kind":"drug","name":"Talimogene laherparepvec","route":"/drugs/talimogene-laherparepvec/"},{"id":"vusolimogene-oderparepvec","kind":"drug","name":"Vusolimogene oderparepvec","route":"/drugs/vusolimogene-oderparepvec/"}],"paper":[{"id":"paper-chesney-j-clin-oncol","kind":"paper","name":"Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Global Phase III Trial of Talimogene Laherparepvec Combined With Pembrolizumab for Advanced Melanoma","route":"/key-papers/paper-chesney-j-clin-oncol/"}],"technology":[{"id":"checkpoint-inhibitor","kind":"technology","name":"Immune checkpoint inhibitors","route":"/technologies/checkpoint-inhibitor/"},{"id":"oncolytic-virus","kind":"technology","name":"Oncolytic viruses","route":"/technologies/oncolytic-virus/"}]}}