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Scientists have developed a novel ‘tumour-busting’ drug that could help improve survival rates and quality of life for patients with pancreatic cancer.
There are approximately 11,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed every year and it has a very poor prognosis, with a five-year survival rate of less than 8%.
For decades patients with pancreatic cancer have had very few therapy options, and Professor Stephen Neidle, who developed the novel therapy, says he hopes the drug will improve the “dismal treatment outlook” for patients and help “improve survival rate and quality of life.”
Clinical trials will begin in the coming months
The drug works by targeting unusual signal sequences present in elevated levels in many cancer-associated genes.
By blocking these signal sequences, the drug has been shown to stop cancer growth in pre-clinical models.
Now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted permission for the team to proceed with Phase I clinical trials for the drug, known as QN-302.
The first patients to be included in the trial are expected to begin receiving the therapy as early as autumn 2023.
Professor Neidle said: “I’m extremely delighted that our novel experimental drug QN-302 is at this very exciting stage of having FDA approval for clinical evaluation.
“I’m so pleased that Qualigen Therapeutics has not only shared our vision, but has taken QN-302 with remarkable skill and speed to this important milestone.
“I am proud that my team has long been pioneering the quadruplex targeting concept and now look forward to the clinical development of QN-302.
“I shall continue, with my collaborators, to further our understanding of the basic science involved in its action.”
A “pivotal milestone”
Qualigen Therapeutics, who licensed the technology, described the trial as a “pivotal milestone”.
Michael Poirier, Qualigen’s Chairman and CEO, said: “The IND clearance for QN-302 brings us closer to our objective of developing best-in-class treatments that can potentially provide new therapeutic options for patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumours.
“Our clinical team has worked diligently to prepare for this milestone and is now dedicated to start enrolling patients, anticipated to take place in the second half of 2023.”