SPH Therapeutics LLC
Many cancer drugs suffer from severe adverse effects due to acute high exposure and inadequate distribution to tumors. This technology provides a vehicle for the preferred delivery of existing and approved drugs to tumor environments and local release of the active agent, thereby focusing exposure to tissues in need and reducing unwanted side effects.
The Problem
Cancer treatment relies on the differential effect of drugs on cancerous and healthy cells. While novel approaches try to address alterations in cancer cells on the protein level, most established and widely used pharmaceutical treatments distinguish based on rate of cell metabolism and targeted delivery. Encapsulation of drugs in lipid nanoparticles (nanovesicle) is a widely used approach, but suffers from the all-at-once release of drug from the lumen of the nanovesicle once the particle is delivered leading to detrimental spike in drug presence.
The Solution
The offered technology uses innovative nanovesicles as delivery vehicles. Unlike today’s technologies that encapsulate the payload in the lumen of the nanovesicle, the technology covalently embeds the drug in the outer lipid shell. Once delivered into the membrane of the target cell, the agent is slowly cleaved and delivered to its site of action. The covalent release leads to a reduced peak and longer residence of the drug in the target environment. The value of the technology has been exemplified using Camptothecin, a widely used cancer drug. Camptothecin suffers from unfavorable distribution in the body and severe toxic side effects. Delivering Camptothecin through the novel technology has proven to be more effective and better tolerated than current standard of care in various mouse cancer models.
The Opportunity
The current market for Camptothecin derived drugs is about $4 billion and occupied by 4 agents all of which show significant systemic toxicities. We believe that our technology that also provides targeted release of the drug in tumor environments will show benefits that will lead to a substitution of the current players. The technology goes beyond the single drug and offers entry to a delivery platform for a multitude of existing and approved agents. Modulation of conjugation chemistry in the lipid bilayer can support tissue selective delivery of drugs.
Status
The efficacy and tolerability of the technology has been shown in mice to be superior to existing drug treatments. The preparation of the agent in multi-100-gram scale has been demonstrated. The next steps are conducting multi-species safety and pharmacokinetic studies leading to IND filing and initiation of clinical trials in the next 24 months.
Meet the Team
Jianqin Lu PhD
College of Pharmacy
Aaron J. Scott MD
College Of Medicine - Tucson
Peter Nestler PhD
Tech Launch Arizona
Contact us today.
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