Point Roberts, WA, New York, NY - February 26, 2014
(Investorideas.com Biotech Newswire) Investorideas.com global news
source covering leading sectors including biotech and pharma reports on
companies in the sector targeting pancreatic cancer. Companies include
NewLink Genetics (NLNK), Sunshine Biopharma Inc. (
OTCBB: SBFM ), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Celgene (NASDAQ::CELG).
According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network "Pancreatic
cancer is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the
United States, and is anticipated to become the second by 2020.”
In their fact sheet they also note " Pancreatic cancer is one of
the nation's deadliest cancers with a five-year relative survival rate
of just 6 percent. An estimated 73 percent of patients will die in the
first year of diagnosis. In 2014, an estimated 46,420 people will be
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States, and approximately
39,590 will die from the disease.”
Decision Resources (http://www.decisionresources.com/),one of the
world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and
healthcare issues, finds that the pancreatic cancer therapy market will
nearly double to $1.3 billion in 2022, owing to the launch and rapid
uptake of three high-priced agents—Celgene (NASDAQ::CELG)/Taiho's
Abraxane, Onconova Therapeutics/Baxter International/SymBio
Pharmaceuticals' Estybon and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals' MM-398 (a novel
formulation of irinotecan). Even though these agents do not
substantially improve the overall survival of pancreatic cancer
patients, they will have a significant impact on current treatment.
The Pharmacor Pancreatic Cancer report also finds that significant
commercial reward awaits developers of therapies that are more effective
and better tolerated than the FOLFIRINOX regimen in this disease, as
the need for efficacious, well-tolerated therapies will remain through
2022.
NewLink Genetics (NASDAQ: NLNK) has been of the top gainers for
2014,gaining over 90%.NewLink's portfolio includes biologic and small
molecule immunotherapy product candidates intended to treat a wide range
of oncology indications.
Their product, RAlgenpantucel-L is an investigational HyperAcute™
immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. The product consists of 2
pancreatic cancer cell lines (HAPa-1 and HAPa-2) that have been
genetically modified to express alpha-gal carbohydrates on cell surface
molecules.1 Upon injection into the patient, the alpha-gal stimulates an
immune response against pancreatic cancer-specific antigens in the
tumor cell lines. The patient's immune system then targets its own
pancreatic cancer cells, destroying them.1 In the adjuvant setting, the
immune response targets and eradicates residual tumor cells in
conjunction with chemotherapy and chemoradiation.1,2
Algenpantucel-L is currently being studied in combination with standard of care in two phase 3 trials:
Last fall the company reported greater than expected responses to
follow-on chemotherapy after treatment with algenpantucel-L or
tergenpumatucel-L HyperAcute immunotherapy. Three pancreatic cancer
patients were followed for response to subsequent salvage chemotherapy
treatment after progressing on algenpantucel-L therapy. All three
patients experienced durable (12-36 months), complete responses.
Sunshine Biopharma Inc. (
OTCBB: SBFM
), a pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and
commercialization of drugs for the treatment of various forms of cancer,
recently announced that it is targeting pancreatic cancer as second
indication for its leading compound, Adva-27a.
As previously announced, Adva-27a was found to be effective at
killing Pancreatic Cancer Cells in vitro. Based on initial data, the
company is now advancing research using Adva-27a for pancreatic cancer
treatment.
The initial study, as reported in June 2013, was carried out in the
very aggressive Pancreatic Cancer cell line, Panc-1. Adva-27a was able
to kill these cells with an IC50 of less than 4 micromolar, a
pharmacologically very favorable drug concentration.
Adva-27a is Sunshine Biopharma's lead anticancer compound, a small
molecule that has recently been shown to be effective at killing
multidrug resistant breast cancer cells, small-cell lung cancer cells,
uterine sarcoma cells and pancreatic cancer cells (Published in
ANTICANCER RESEARCH, Volume 32, Pages 4423-4432, October 2012). Adva-27a
is currently in the IND-Enabling stage of development. The original
U.S. patent covering Adva-27a was issued on August 7, 2012 under US
patent number 8,236,935.
The Company also announced that it has initiated the construction
of mouse xenograft models for pancreatic cancer as part of the plans of
positioning Adva-27a for clinical development for pancreatic cancer in
parallel with multidrug resistant breast cancer. The work is being
conducted in collaboration with Sunshine Biopharma's parent company,
Advanomics Corporation, the co-recipient of $1.45 million in research
grants in Canada. As previously announced (see press release dated June
4, 2013), Adva-27a, a Topoisomerase II inhibitor, was found to be
effective at destroying cells of the very aggressive pancreatic cancer
cell line, Panc-1.
"Conducting tests in pancreatic cancer xenograft models is the next
step in our preparations for doing parallel breast cancer and
pancreatic cancer clinical trials of Adva-27a," said Dr. Steve N.
Slilaty, Chief Executive Officer of Sunshine Biopharma. "Pancreatic
cancer is an extremely aggressive form of cancer with essentially no
effective treatment options available today. We are heartened by the
prospects that Adva-27a could become an effective therapy for patients
suffering this deadly form of cancer."
According to Global Industry Analysts, Inc. in their recent report, "
Eli Lilly's (LLY:NYSE)
Gemzar (Gemcitabine) is the current gold standard of care for locally
advanced and metastatic disease, with a dominance that is undisputed
despite a median survival of less than 6 months and rate of one-year
survival of around 18%, as stated by the new market research report on
Pancreatic cancer drugs. Though the odds of survival are somewhat better
in other forms of cancer, the rate of five-year survival for the most
common form of pancreatic cancer, Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is less
than 5%, with majority of patients surviving just a few months. "
www.Investorideas.com - Big ideas for Global Investors
Investorideas.com is a global news source and resource base for
investors following tech stocks, biometric stocks, water stocks, biotech
stocks, energy stocks, mining stocks, renewable energy stocks, nanotech
and Latin American stocks.
Follow Investorideas.com on Twitter
Follow Investorideas.com on Facebook
Follow Investorideas.com News on Linkedin.com/today
Sign up for free news alerts and get free research tools:
http://www.investorideas.com/Resources/Newsletter.asp
Join us and become an Investorideas.com Member and access
our online stock directories listing thousands of publicly traded stocks
in leading sectors
http://www.investorideas.com/membership/
Disclaimer/ Disclosure: The Investorideas.com newswire is a third
party publisher of news and research as well as creates original content
as a news source. Original content created by investor ideas is
protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Investor
ideas is a news source on Google news and Linkedintoday plus hundreds of
syndication partners. Our site does not make recommendations for
purchases or sale of stocks or products. Nothing on our sites should be
construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or
securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of
investment. This site is currently compensated by featured companies,
news submissions, content marketing and online advertising. Contact each
company directly for press release questions. Disclosure is posted on
each release if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for
and is published for the sole interest of our readers. More disclaimer
info:
http://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp
Disclosure investor ideas has been compensated with 144 shares for news
and content publication ( 100,000 per three month period)
BC Residents and Investor Disclaimer: Effective September 15 2008 -
all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies
for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents
with Sedar. Read for more info:
http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894. Global investors must adhere
to regulations of each country.
800-665-0411 - Source -
www.Investorideas.com