Advancing a novel peptide-based therapeutic for pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with a median 5-year survival rate of 3-5%. One explanation for the dismal prognosis is the failure of many chemotherapies. Pancreatic tumor cells stimulate neighbouring non-tumor cells (stromal cells) to join and grow around them. This stroma forms a fibrous matrix that promotes 1) aggressive tumor growth, 2) distant metastasis, and 3) form a barrier to chemotherapy and drug delivery. There is a high need to enhance the success of pancreatic cancer treatment by intensively pursuing strategies that target the tumor stroma. We are developing a novel peptide-based drug (AV3), that targets and reduces tumor stroma in pancreatic cancer, and potentially in other fibrosis-associated cancers. We have demonstrated that AV3 reduces fibrosis (>50%) and enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy in clinically relevant patient-derived xenograft models (achieving up to 80% tumor regression). Thus, our novel peptide has the potential to become a breakthrough add-on to chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We are a biopharmaceutical company, spun-out in 2016 by the University of Twente. Our mission is to develop novel, targeted, peptide-based drugs to treat pancreatic cancer and other fibrosis-associated cancers and diseases with high unmet medical needs. The management team consists of its pioneering scientific founder and inventor of the technology Prof. Jai Prakash (CEO) and an experienced entrepreneur and drug developer Dr. Bart Metselaar (COO). The FIBROHALT project will (1) create a clear overview of the clinical opportunity for AV3 in pancreatic cancer, 2) develop a strategy to position the drug in the pancreatic cancer market, and (3) create an optimal development strategy, including a de-risk plan for future clinical studies. We will pursue a co-development or licensing deal for AV3 with a pharmaceutical company which will perform late-stage clinical development, obtain EMA/FDA approvals, market and sell AV3.