On April 3, 2023 Oxcia AB reported that it has been awarded a grant of 3 million SEK (Press release, Oxcia, APR 3, 2023, View Source [SID1234629860]). The call aims to finance the development of innovative and sustainable life science solutions that contribute to strengthening Swedish competitiveness and increase patient benefit. The financed projects must have great potential to make care more efficient and contribute to sustainable growth.
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Oxcia is currently investigating OXC-101 in a phase 1 study in AML, MAATEO. It is an oral drug. Preliminary data is promising in a very fragile and advanced patient population. In this call project, Oxcia collaborates closely with Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital and Örebro University Hospital to demonstrate efficacy as well as further proof of safety in monotherapy as well as in combination with chemotherapy in refractory/relapsed AML. This expansion cohort to MAATEO is a critical step to be able to take the project further in development. Early data indicate that OXC-101 has potential to improve treatment for a broad patient population. In the project we are also integrating precision medicine screening to help identify best responders/non-responders. Precision medicine screening is a novel way of personalizing treatment for patients and thus identifying the best treatment strategy for individuals reducing unsuccessful treatments with unnecessary suffering and lack of effect.
OXC-101 is a mitotic MTH1 inhibitor combining a new and innovative method of attacking how cancer cells defend themselves against oxidative DNA damage with a proven method of stopping the cancer cell from multiplying, which leads to an entirely unique mechanism of action. It does so through inhibiting microtubule function, a protein complex vital to cell division, and MTH1, an enzyme crucial to preventing oxidative DNA damage. As a consequence, the cancer cell stops dividing, more oxidative stress and damaged DNA building blocks are generated and incorporated into DNA. The level of oxidative stress and DNA damage gets very high and with the repair MTH1 enzyme inhibited, the cancer cell is pushed up over the threshold level where it is unable to repair itself and the cancer cell dies. In short, OXC-101, fights cancer by taking advantage of one of the Achilles heels of cancer cells – the high endogenous oxidative stress and DNA damage. Apart from the mentioned phase 1 in hematological cancers, OXC-101 is investigated in a clinical phase 1 trial in solid cancers, in which recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) has been reached and phase II is in the planning phase.
AML (Acute myeloid leukemia) is the most common acute leukemia in adults, accounting for more than 80% of the cases. In 2021, there were 162,200 incident cases of AML worldwide, and the number is forecasted to increase to 169,000 incident cases by 2027 (Datamonitor). AML is an aggressive hematological malignancy, with an overall 5-year survival of 20% in selected population. AML is a very heterogenous disease, which explains that classical intensive chemotherapy remains the standard of care (SoC).
"We really believe OXC-101 holds potential to greatly improve treatment for patients who suffer from AML and are very glad that Swelife and Medtech4Health have awarded us this grant. It enables us to progress development in a subpopulation with a large medical need and is a stepping stone for further studies says Ulrika Warpman Berglund, Oxcia’s CEO.