Two Game-changers Join Forces Against Solid Cancer
A Novel Combination of CDK4/6 and MTK (Multityrosine Kinase) Inhibitors for Treating Refractory Cancer
Refractory cancers, also known as treatment-resistant cancers, are cancers that do not respond or stop responding to standard cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies, or immunotherapy. These cancers continue to grow, spread, or remain stable despite undergoing multiple rounds of conventional treatments. Therefore, new therapeutic solutions must be found.
Inventors
Prof. Salomon Stemmer, Rabin Medical Center
Contact info
Sari Prutchi Sagiv PhD. Director Pharma and Diagnostics
For further information please contact:
sari@mor-research.comOur solution for Treating Refractory Cancers is a novel combination of 2 different treatment agents: CDK4/6 and MTK (Multi Tyrosine Kinase) Inhibitors.
Our research platform is built on a large number of diverse patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Using this platform, we discovered that the combination of a CDK4/6 inhibitor (palbociclib) and an MTK inhibitor (sunitinib) has a synergistic inhibitory effect in a variety of human tumors.
• In 17 of 23 experiments, the combination was superior to standard-of-care (SOC) or monotherapies.
• In several models, the combination overcame resistance of the tumor to a prior single-agent therapy.
• The combination was associated with a very low toxicity.
• The combination had a dose-response effect on tumor growth inhibition.
• So far, efficacy and synergism were shown in several cancer types (gastric, colon, cholangiocarcinoma, pancreas, ovarian, breast, lung, Ewing sarcoma, and carcinosarcoma).
A Phase 1b/2 study investigating the palbociclib+sunitinib combination was approved by the Israeli MOH and 15 patients have already been enrolled.
• The study will enroll 20-100 patients with documented incurable/locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors who have relapsed, are refractory, or intolerant to standard therapies.
• Initially, the study will include all solid tumor types (Part 1; 10-20 patients), after which tumor-specific arms will be opened (Part 2; 10-20 patients in each arm).
• So far, 1 patient experienced partial response and 2 patients have a stable disease (after 8 and 4 months). None of the treated patients discontinued treatment due to safety reasons.