# Kevin Harrington

Source: https://onco.cc/people/kevin-harrington/  
OnCo record `kevin-harrington` (Person). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Kevin Harrington is a head and neck oncologist and oncolytic virus pioneer who led the OPTiM trial of T-VEC.

## Summary

Kevin Harrington is Professor of Biological Cancer Therapies at The Institute of Cancer Research and a consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden. His specialisms are head and neck cancer, oncolytic viruses and radiotherapy-immunotherapy combinations. He led OPTiM, the Journal of Clinical Oncology trial showing that talimogene laherparepvec improves durable response rate in advanced melanoma, which brought the oncolytic virus to approval. He now studies combinations of radiotherapy, viruses and immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, including the newer oncolytic agent vusolimogene oderparepvec. His publications are listed on PubMed.

## Fields

- Kind: Person
- Last checked: 2026-09-08
- Role: Professor of Biological Cancer Therapies, ICR; Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Royal Marsden
- Specialisms: Head and neck cancer; Oncolytic viruses; Radiotherapy-immunotherapy combinations

## Sources

- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Harrington%20KJ%5BAuthor%5D%20oncolytic

## Connected records

- cancers: [Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/head-and-neck/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/)
- technologies: [Oncolytic viruses](https://onco.cc/technologies/oncolytic-virus/)
- drugs: [Talimogene laherparepvec](https://onco.cc/drugs/talimogene-laherparepvec/), [Vusolimogene oderparepvec](https://onco.cc/drugs/vusolimogene-oderparepvec/)
- institutions: [The Institute of Cancer Research](https://onco.cc/institutions/icr-london/), [The Royal Marsden](https://onco.cc/institutions/royal-marsden/)
- ideas: [A neutral platform trial for radiotherapy plus immunotherapy combinations](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-fund-rt-io-platform/), [Funded research pathways for surgeon-scientists and radiation oncologist-scientists](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-fund-surgeon-scientist-pathway/), [Oncolytic viruses that make interleukin-12 only inside the tumour](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio2-oncolytic-regulated-il12/)
- key papers: [KEYNOTE-048: pembrolizumab, alone or with chemotherapy, as first treatment for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-keynote-048-lancet-2019/)

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