Oncopeptides receives a research grant from Sweden´s Innovation Agency to explore the PDC platform in solid tumors
March 28, 2023
Oncopeptides AB (publ.) (Nasdaq Stockholm: ONCO), a biotech company focused on research, development and commercialization of therapies for difficult-to-treat hematological diseases, today announced that the company has received a research grant of 3 MSEK from Sweden´s Innovation Agency (Vinnova), to explore the development of new treatment options for glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. The grant enables exploratory research to better understand the potential of the PDC platform in solid tumors such as glioblastoma.
Preclinical data demonstrate that the proprietary Peptide Drug Conjugate (PDC) platform has a significant potential to address the treatment challenges in glioblastoma. The PDC compounds are designed around two components, a peptide carrier and a cytotoxic payload. The peptide carrier utilizes the increased metabolic activity of glioblastoma cells to rapidly hydrolyze the PDC compounds into multiple hydrophilic metabolites leading to intracellular accumulation in cancer cells. This can increase the therapeutic index compared to conventional chemotherapy.
“We are very excited to advance our pre-clinical portfolio and explore the potential of our innovative PDC platform in other indications outside hematological diseases,” says Monica Shaw, CEO of Oncopeptides. “Glioblastoma is a common and very aggressive brain tumor type with only very few treatment options and no cure. As such there is an imminent need for more effective therapies with different mode of actions”.
The project has received a financial grant from the Eurostars 3-program, it is co-financed by the EU´s research and innovation program “Horizon Europe” and is driven by an international research consortium. Oncopeptides coordinates the project and is responsible for lead optimization to design and synthesize new compounds profiled as potential glioblastoma drugs. Our partners, who represent both academia and biotech, will contribute with their expertise in glioblastoma as well as in the development of advanced preclinical models utilizing cancer cells derived from patients.
The consortium is expected to generate a preclinical data set that may support the selection of a candidate drug for glioblastoma in 2026. The data package may enable Oncopeptides to finalize preclinical and IND enabling studies and subsequently start clinical development.
For more information, please contact:
Rolf Gulliksen, Global Head of Corporate Communications, Oncopeptides AB (publ.)
E-mail: rolf.gulliksen@oncopeptides.com
Cell phone: + 46 70 262 96 28
About Oncopeptides
Oncopeptides is a biotech company focused on research, development, and commercialization of therapies for difficult-to-treat hematological diseases. The company uses its proprietary Peptide Drug Candidate platform (PDC) to develop compounds that rapidly and selectively deliver cytotoxic agents into cancer cells.
Pepaxti® (melphalan flufenamide, also called melflufen) has been granted Marketing Authorization, in the European Union, the EEA-countries Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway, as well as in the UK. Pepaxti is indicated in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapies, whose disease is refractory to at least one proteasome inhibitor, one immunomodulatory agent, and one anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, and who have demonstrated disease progression on or after the last therapy. For patients with a prior autologous stem cell transplantation, the time to progression should be at least 3 years from transplantation. Melflufen has been granted accelerated approval in the US under the trade name Pepaxto®. The drug is currently not marketed in the US.
Oncopeptides is developing several new compounds based on its proprietary technology platforms and is listed on the Small Cap segment on Nasdaq Stockholm with the ticker ONCO. For more information see: www.oncopeptides.com.
Source: Oncopeptides
