Kancera´s ROR inhibitors are active against Fludarabine resistant leukemia
Kancera’s inhibitors of ROR1 show an effect on leukemia cells from patients for whom standard therapy is not currently working. Kancera’s partner and co-founder Professor Håkan Mellstedt and his research group at the Karolinska University Hospital conducted the studies.
Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia, CLL is the most common form of leukemia among adults in U.S. and Europe. One category of CLL patients carry leukemic cells that do not respond to current standard therapy using Fludarabine. The prognosis for these patients is poor. There is a significant unmet medical need for new and effective therapies that will also work in this class of so-called Fludarabine-refractory CLL.
In this study, cancer cells were isolated directly from eight CLL patients whose leukemia was resistant to treatment with Fludarabine. The isolated cells were then exposed to Kancera’s ROR inhibitors and a significant anti-tumor effect could be established in four of these resistant leukemia’s. The results are considered promising considering that this patient group with poor prognosis is difficult to treat and the pharmaceutical industry is actively searching for effective new drugs.
About the ROR-project
ROR is a family of receptor tyrosine kinase receptors originally reported to be linked to fetus development and consists of two receptors, ROR1 and ROR2. Today it is also known that ROR receptors play a role also for cancer cells. It has been shown that inhibition of ROR causes certain cancer cells to eliminate themselves through apoptosis. Since ROR receptors are not present in healthy cells in adults, it is anticipated that a drug targeting ROR will selectively attack the tumor much more forcefully than healthy tissue.
Kancera’s co-founder Professor Håkan Mellstedt has shown that Kancera´s ROR inhibitors are capable of killing cancer cells originating from pancreas and as well as leukemic cells. Professor Mellstedt and other scientists have further shown that ROR is a potential therapeutic target also in prostate-, breast- and lung cancer.
About Kancera AB (publ)
Kancera is engaged in drug development that takes its start in new treatment concepts and ends with a candidate drug. Kancera is currently developing medicines for the treatment of both leukemia and solid tumors that interferes with survival signaling and nutrient metabolism within the cancer cell. Kancera is also developing stem cell-based cancer models to study the candidate molecules before testing in humans. Kancera operates in Stockholm and employs approximately 20 people. The share is traded on the NASDAQ OMX First North and the number of shareholders is about 1500. Remium AB is Certified Adviser to Kancera.
For additional information, please contact:
Thomas Olin, CEO: Tel +46 735 20 40 01
Kancera AB (publ)
Karolinska Institutet Science Park
SE 171 48 Solna
Please visit the company’s web: www.kancera.com
Posted: May 2012