Roquefort Therapeutics PLC on Monday said its recent in vivo study targeting midkine-expressing cancers has shown ‘significant’ success by its lead antibody programmes, which its CEO said ‘demonstrate the potential for a best-in-class medicine.’
Roquefort Therapeutics is a London-based biotechnology company, focused on developing medicines for hard-to-treat cancers. The in vivo efficacy results concern its antibodies CAB-101 and CAB-102, the lead programmes among its in-house patented humanised antibodies which target cancers with high expressions of protein-coding gene midkine.
The in vivo study tested the anti-cancer abilities of both antibodies in a validated experimental model of osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer most commonly found in older children.
Roquefort Therapeutics said treatment with CAB-101 caused ‘a statistically significant reduction’ in lung metastasis, while CAB-102 reduced the primary tumour’s growth rate. Detailed results remain embargoed, but Roquefort expects to publish them at ‘a leading cancer research conference’ in due course.
Roquefort Therapeutics previously announced in January that its midkine antibody programmes had successfully demonstrated in vivo safety against metastatic breast and lung cancer.
Osteosarcoma is Roquefort’s first orphan drug indication for the midkine antibodies. Roquefort said this reflects its strategic decision to target the ‘significant market niche’ of cancers with a high unmet clinical need and an accelerated development pathway.
‘Our rationale was that by targeting midkine, we would be able to attack both primary tumours and metastasis. The in vivo results vindicate this approach and demonstrate the potential for a best-in-class medicine,’ Chief Executive Officer Ajan Reginald commented.
‘This strategy to focus on areas of high unmet medical need is underpinned by the orphan drug incentives (including market exclusivity, efficient clinical trials and tax incentives) and the higher market valuation and return on investment for the investors in companies with approved orphan medicines,’ he added.
Shares in Roquefort Therapeutics were up 3.3% at 6.97 pence in London on Monday.
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