Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) has announced new data regarding its CRO-67 preclinical drug for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat because tumours are surrounded by a dense barrier of cells that protects them from anti-cancer drugs and the body's immune system.
CRO-67 is a novel dual-cell therapy that targets tumour and barrier cells.
Noxopharm said the research is part of an ongoing collaboration with the pancreatic cancer team at UNSW Sydney and follows work conducted in 2023 and 2022 which showed that CRO-67 significantly reduced tumour volume in vivo, slowed down the rate at which tumours grew, and was also effective in an advanced human patient pancreatic tumour explant model.
Professor Phoebe Phillips, the lead investigator at UNSW, said, "These results are encouraging, especially as we have generated a substantial amount of data from a broad range of studies involving stringent scientific models and innovative research techniques. Further studies are now warranted to identify the next steps and build on what we have achieved so far."
The new results arise from a study that tested CRO-67 in a complex model, in which human pancreatic cancer cells and barrier cells were transplanted into the pancreas of mice.
Noxopharm CEO Dr Gisela Mautner said, "We are very pleased with the outcome of these studies as they show that CRO-67 continues to have a dual-cell therapy effect in a variety of pancreatic cancer models, including this complex model where the bar is set much higher. This data will be used to inform the next steps of our project and will also be important in future regulatory contexts.
"Pancreatic cancer has a very poor survival rate. There is clearly an unmet need to develop new treatments, either alone or in combination with existing treatments, to help alleviate patient suffering and help save many lives."
