Viralytics has excited shareholders as it moves into phase two clinical trials for its cancer treatment. The results appear promising as the biotech’s use of a common virus, coxsackievirus, to attack certain types of cancerous cells is said to have a strong safety profile. The side-effects so far are cold symptoms. Coxsackievirus is attracted to the receptors on cancer cells, such as melanoma. If the phase two trial of 63 patients is promising, the company expects to be bought out by a big pharmaceutical. But investing in the stock is a high-risk, high-reward proposition as a takeover is about the only exit strategy being touted by management. The company has some $4.6 million in cash, which would take it through to phase two, but lacks the resources to get much further. But targeted cancer treatments are in vogue with large drug makers, and there has been some corporate activity in the area. The stock has surged close to 70 per cent in the past two weeks to 38¢.