Unmet Need
Approximately 1.24 million hematological cancer cases occur each year, accounting for approximately 6% of all cancer cases (Bristol Myers Squibb). Currently, standard treatment strategies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplants. However, there exist several major drawbacks for each method. Stem cell transplants can be rejected from the body, radiation therapy can damage surrounding tissues, and chemotherapy can cause cytotoxicity and many unwanted side effects. Therefore, especially for stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, there is a strong need to develop targeted drugs that are less toxic to non-cancerous cells and have fewer unwanted side effects.
Value Proposition
· Novel prodrug that treats hematological cancers with reduced unwanted side effects.
· Entails a hypomethylation agent that is resistant to cytosine deamination.
· Demonstrates similar efficacy, but less toxicity in rescuing lung injury models.
· Broad applications available, including possible uses in transplantation and checkpoint inhibitor-induced adverse events.
Technology Description
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a novel prodrug for the treatment of hematological cancers, as well as other therapeutic strategies related to inflammation and unwanted immune side effects. The prodrug has been successfully synthesized and shown to be resistant to deamination by cytosine deaminase.
Stage of Development
The technology has been tested on animal models, and researchers are in the process of characterizing the mechanism of action.
Data Availability
Data available upon request.
Publication
