Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals’ topical therapy shows positive results in preclinical skin cancer trial: drug prevents the development of precancerous skin conditions and treats existing skin cancers with no observable side effects.
17 Abril 2024 - 9:15AM
Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals’ topical therapy shows positive
results in preclinical skin cancer trial: drug
prevents the development of precancerous skin
conditions and treats existing
skin cancers with no observable side
effects.
The rates of precancerous skin conditions and skin
cancers are soaring in many parts of the world. Actinic
keratosis (AK) is the most common form
of precancer, with over 40
million Americans a year developing
this condition. Treating AKs before the cells become
cancerous and spread to other parts of the
body is crucial. For those patients with multiple
AKs, common treatment options are chemotherapy creams and
photodynamic therapy. Although effective, these
treatments come with significant side
effects, such as redness, blistering, and
peeling, with recovery times that can
be lengthy and uncomfortable. The global actinic
keratosis treatment market size is projected to reach as high as
$10 billion USD by 2031, fuelled by increasing cases of
AK and rising healthcare spending.
Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals is a
Vancouver-based biopharmaceutical company that has
developed
a topical anticancer treatment for patients with or at
high risk of developing multiple AKs. In
a recent UV-induced skin cancer trial, mice
were exposed to UVB radiation over a period of 25 weeks.
The prolonged exposure mimics chronic sun exposure
over time and replicates the gradual progression
from precancerous skin conditions to cutaneous
squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Topical application of
Derm-Biome’s compound prior to UVB exposure significantly reduced
the number and size of precancer lesions, while treatment
blocked the progression of squamous cell carcinoma
tumors.
Frédéric Couture, Researcher and Head of
Pharmaceutical Sciences at
TransBIOtech: “My research group conducted this
study using Derm-Biome’s compound. The compound
exhibited a significant protective effect without toxicity or side
effects. Moreover, existing tumor progression was blocked with
drug treatment. We actually noticed an improvement
to the look of skin treated with the compound.”
Dr. Poul Sorensen, University of British Columbia Professor and
Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer Research Centre, and
Derm-Biome CSO: “The results of these studies are very promising.
We tested our compound using a very aggressive UV-induced skin
cancer model. We observed highly significant decreases in the
number of tumors in treated mice and strong preventative
effects when mice were pretreated with the
compound. These findings suggest that our compound has great
potential to be a highly effective and well-tolerated agent for
both the treatment and prevention of squamous cell
carcinoma.”
Derm-Biome CEO Gordon Eberwein: “Currently available
topical treatments cause debilitating side effects that make them
unattractive to patients. There is a real need for safer and
more targeted topical therapies.”
Derm-Biome expects to start topical formulation development this
summer, with IND-enabling studies slated to begin in Q4.
About Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a preclinical
biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving skin health. We
are developing novel topical therapies for inflammatory skin
diseases and precancer/non-melanoma skin cancers that are both
highly effective and well tolerated by skin.
Derm-Biome is about to kick off a $3M
USD seed funding round. For investor inquiries
please contact:
Gordon
Eberweingeberwein@derm-biome.comhttps://derm-biomepharmaceuticals.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
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