Q BioMed and Chemveda Life Sciences announce the two companies have formalized a collaboration to continue the develop chemotherapy for the treatment of liver cancer and scale-up manufacturing of the cGMP product for planned pre-clinical testing and clinical trials.
Since February 2017, Q BioMed and Chemveda have been engaged in a joint research program to synthesize uttroside B and several other derivatives. The goal of the program is to study their potential use in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) as well as other cancers. The original compound was isolated and characterized from the leaves of Solanum nigrum Linn, a plant widely used in traditional medicines.
In a Scientific Reports study, researchers showed that in animal models, uttroside B was ten times more cytotoxic to the HepG2 liver cancer cell line than sorafenib, the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for liver cancer at the time and the current first line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. Uttroside B drastically reduced tumors in mice bearing human liver cancer xenografts. In addition, in pre-clinical experiments, uttroside B induced cytotoxicity in all liver cancer cell lines and researchers were able to confirm its biological safety, both by in vitro and in vivo studies. Q BioMed is awaiting confirmatory cell line efficacy data from the synthesized drug product and its derivatives.
“Chemveda has been an excellent partner in this program, both in terms of execution and problem solving, and we look forward to the next phase as we advance this promising molecule and others towards the clinic,” Denis Corin, Q BioMed CEO said.
“Since its inception in early 2017 we have been very interested in this research given to the novelty of its clinical end-point & nobility of this approach,” Bheema Paraselli, Chemveda’s President & CEO said. “What helped us cut through the initial uncertainty and risks surrounding the milestone approach was our stringent due-diligence, attention to detail, and tailored scientific approach. We are very thankful to Q BioMed for being of tremendous help.”
Under the Agreement and depending upon reaching certain milestones, Q BioMed have agreed to pay Chemveda a combination of cash and stock and capped royalty on net sales of any and all drug product(s) resulting from the collaboration. Subject to the terms of the Agreement, Chemveda shall have the first right of refusal and, if exercised, the exclusive right to manufacture any products developed as a result of the program for pre-commercial and commercial production.
Chemotherapeutic options for liver cancer are limited, and the prognosis of patients remains challenging. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide, claiming approximately 750,000 lives each year. In the US, the American Cancer Society estimates that 42,000 people will be diagnosed with liver cancer in 2019 and that 32,000 will die from the disease this year. Liver cancer incidence has more than tripled since 1980 and deaths in the US have increased 56% since 2003.