Nanoform and PlusVitech Collaborate to Repurpose Aprepitant for Lung Cancer Treatment

Nanoform and PlusVitech have partnered to repurpose the anti-nausea drug aprepitant, as a treatment for lung cancer using Nanoform’s nanomedicine technology. This collaboration aims to enhance the drug's efficacy through nanoparticle engineering, and reduce pill size and dosage complexity. Initial trials are focusing on patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are unresponsive to standard treatments.

Nanoform Finland Plc (“Nanoform”), the medicine performance-enhancing company, today announced a collaboration with PlusVitech, a biotechnology company developing treatments for cancer, to use Nanoform’s state-of-the-art nanomedicine technology to repurpose the anti-nausea medicine aprepitant as a treatment for lung cancer. The development program will include nanoforming the current active ingredient into crystalline nanoparticles and formulating a simplified dose regimen with fewer and smaller pills. The partnership is expected to include API supply for late-stage clinical programs and eventual product launch.

Following PlusVitech’s positive first time in human studies, a Phase 2 study with 24 patients has commenced, investigating the efficacy of high dose aprepitant in a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) population that is refractory to standard treatment. The current formulation carries a high pill burden of potentially dozens of capsules per day, with a complicated regimen for patients that are most often frail and have trouble swallowing (dysphagia). The new formulation by Nanoform is designed to deliver substantially higher drug load with better bioavailability, which simplifies the dose regimen and improves patient convenience and compliance. Repurposing an existing drug offers a potentially faster, risk-reduced and cost-effective development path to provide new treatments for high medical need indications like NSCLC.

“Our mission is to employ Nanoform’s leading nanotechnology to provide patients with new treatments as fast as possible and we are excited to work with PlusVitech on this promising new approach to help lung cancer patients”, said Edward Hæggström, CEO of Nanoform. “Following the recent positive results for nanoenzalutamide and nanoapalutamide, this is yet another example of the increasing number of oncology programs that our best-in-class nanomedicine approach empowers”.

“Getting this medicine into a pivotal Phase 3 trial with a dose form that’s suitable for these very ill patients is vital for the PlusVitech team of highly passionate professionals”, said Dr. Vicente Salinas, CEO of PlusVitech. “We are pleased to work with Nanoform to use their unique technology to enable our vision; to get a superior, IP protected new drug formulation and dosage form, to scale up our API supply for late-stage trials and to launch the product”, said Fran Guillén, General Manager of PlusVitech.

Nanoform’s nanocrystalline formulations enable significantly higher drug loading, allowing for smaller pills and a reduced pill burden. Its Controlled Expansion of Supercritical Solutions (CESS®) technology uses carbon dioxide of recycled origin, and is free from organic hydrocarbons and solvents, offering an environmentally sustainable alternative.

Nanoform’s technology delivers some of the world’s smallest nanoparticles, at clinical and commercial scale, for multiple pharmaceutical innovator partners for new product developments, 505(b)(2) pathway projects, and differentiated generics across oral, hydrogel, ophthalmic, inhaled and injectable dose forms. Nanoform’s state of the art development and manufacturing facility is located adjacent to Helsinki University, Finland.

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