Derm-Biome’s investigational topical therapy may prevent the development of actinic keratoses and halt the progression of skin cancers, according to preclinical work.
In a recent UV-induced skin cancer trial, mice were exposed to UVB radiation over a period of 25 weeks. Topical application of Derm-Biome’s compound prior to UVB exposure significantly reduced the number and size of precancerous lesions, while treatment blocked the progression of squamous cell carcinoma tumors, the Company reports.
Derm-Biome expects to start topical formulation development this summer, with Investigational New Drug (IND -enabling studies slated to begin in Q4 2024.
The compound selectively induces cell death in cancer cells by triggering apoptosis, while essentially completely sparing normal cells, according to media reports.
“The compound exhibited a significant protective effect without toxicity or side effects. Moreover, existing tumor progression was blocked with drug treatment,” says Frédéric Couture, Researcher and Head of Pharmaceutical Sciences at TransBIOtech, in a news release. “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, adds: “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.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Mag’s Murphys Journey
