On July 30, 2018 LIDDS AB (publ) announced the results of a preclinical study confirming the potential for LIDDS unique NanoZolid technology for use with STING agonists, a novel cancer immunotherapy treatment (Press release, Lidds, JUL 30, 2018, View Source [SID1234555857]).
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Due to the potent immune stimulatory effects of STING agonists, their use is restricted to direct intratumoral injections to avoid severe systemic side effects. As weekly or even more frequent injections are required with current STING drug products, this will put a burden on patients and the healthcare system and will also limit the type of tumors that can be treated. The NanoZolid technology also provides the opportunity to provide a long-lasting effect following a single injection.
-This is one of the most significant results involving LIDDS NanoZolid technology to date and confirms that a NanoZolid formulated immunotherapy agent can provide a more effective and convenient treatment for cancer sufferers, says Monica Wallter, CEO of LIDDS.
STING is one of the fastest growing areas of cancer immunotherapy and is being pursued by pharmaceutical companies around the world, including Novartis, BMS, GSK and Merck. Immunotherapies use the body’s own immune system to attack cancers and the market for oncology immunotherapies is expected to grow to more than USD 100 billion by 2022.
-LIDDS will now explore commercial opportunities for NanoZolid-STING formulations with out-licensing arrangements to continue the development of NanoZolid-STING formulations and ultimately to make them available to patients and clinicians, says Monica Wallter.
The preclinical study showed statistically significant effects on tumors and confirmed the results of previous studies where a single injection of NanoZolid with a STING agonist significantly reduced tumor growth and increased survival.
-This study demonstrates that NanoZolid has the potential to reduce the burden on cancer patients and healthcare systems by producing a long-lasting effect with one injection in a range of different tumors, regardless of their location in the body, says Monica Wallter.
A STING activating drug could potentiate the effect and increase the response rate of existing immunotherapies, in particular checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytruda and Opdivo. The promise of STING agonists and the rapid development of the field was highlighted in a recent issue of Chemical & Engineering News (February 26, 2018). The Nanozolid-STING formulation could be a significant part in bringing this new treatment to the clinic to help patients.
LIDDS NanoZolid technology is clinically proven in Phase II studies to deliver cancer drugs directly into tumors and releases the active substance safely over an extended period of time.