On December 28, 2023 Isofol Medical AB (publ) (Nasdaq Stockholm: ISOFOL) reported that the company has received additional results from the laboratory tests conducted with arfolitixorin ahead of a potential decision on the drug candidate’s continued clinical development (Press release, Isofol Medical, DEC 28, 2023, View Source [SID1234638825]). The results show interesting supplementary effects of arfolitixorin in two of a total of five evaluated organoids from colorectal cancer tumors. These findings are positive for Isofol and the company will implement additional bioinformatic analysis to identify potential patterns.

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Isofol has received further results from the laboratory tests carried out as part of the company’s stepwise process to enable a cost-effective evaluation of the drug candidate arfolitixorin. The results originate from tests on organoids from tumors in the colon and rectum and show additional effects of arfolitixorin in two of a total of five organoids studied, an effect that was not seen with leucovorin. The additional effect was shown as an enhancement of the response to the chemotherapy drug 5-FU, both in terms of reducing tumor size and the ability to induce cell death. In three out of five organoid tests, however, no additional effect of any of the folates in combination with 5-FU was seen.

Data from the laboratory tests will undergo bioinformatics analyses to identify molecular patterns associated with folate sensitivity. These analyses may provide further support in the construction of a hypothesis for the continued development of arfolitixorin.

"These results show positive signals that we did not see in organoids from pancreatic tumors and give us further guidance in the choice of indication for a potential clinical trial. We will therefore look further into this and the upcoming tests will become even more important," says Isofol’s acting CEO, Roger Tell.

As part of the company’s stepwise process, several laboratory tests are carried out to evaluate the effect of arfolitixorin in different doses together with the chemotherapy drug 5-FU and in other possible combination treatments. The tests are carried out in collaboration with external research laboratories in Norway and the USA and have been gradually extended to cell lines and organoids also outside the field of colorectal cancer. Complementary studies of arfolitixorin’s effect on organoids are planned to be carried out during the first quarter of 2024.