On August 31, 2021 Endevica Bio, a company developing best-in-class peptide drug candidates with better safety and efficacy properties, reported that new data from a recent preclinical study with its lead compound TCMCB07 at the 6th Cancer Cachexia Conference in August 27-29, 2021 (Press release, Endevica Bio, AUG 31, 2021, View Source [SID1234587058]). The study was conducted by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University. The results were presented in a poster titled "Melanocortin-4 receptor antagonist TCMCB07 preserves lean muscle mass during cancer cachexia."
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The researchers evaluated efficacy of TCMCB07 with subcutaneous administration in two recently developed mouse cachexia models of orthotopic pancreatic cancer and head and neck cancer. The data demonstrate that TCMCB07 can preserve lean mass as well as attenuate muscle wasting and body weight loss during cancer cachexia. The authors concluded that TCMCB07 is a promising drug candidate with universal effects on treating cancer cachexia.
TCMCB07 is a first-in-class melanocortin ¾ antagonist peptide designed to help people with cachexia to live longer by enabling greater tolerability of treatment and improved quality of life. Discovered by Endevica Bio founder and CEO, Dr. Kenneth Gruber, the compound reduces catabolism and energy expenditure via inhibiting the hypothalamic melanocortin signing and brain inflammation. TCMCB07 can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier when administering it peripherally.
"Even with only modest improvements in food intake in mouse cancer cachexia models, TCMCB07 significantly improves the maintenance of lean body mass," said Dr. Xinxia Zhu, Staff Scientist and the study lead investigator in the Marks Lab at Oregon Health & Science University "This is an important point because general appetite stimulants do not effectively ameliorate cachexia."
"Given that there are no approved drug therapies for cachexia in the United States, these data are incredibly promising and give us confidence that TCMCB07 may be effective as a treatment for cachexia caused by any type of cancer," said Russ Potterfield, Executive Chairman of Endevica Bio. "We are looking forward to studying TCMCB07 further and commencing clinical trials in the beginning of 2022."
Cachexia, a serious clinical consequence also known as "wasting syndrome," is estimated to be prevalent in approximately 50-80% of those with advanced cancer and it is estimated to be the cause of death for up to 40% of cancer patients.