On October 10, 2018 DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: DMPI) ("DelMar" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, reported the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific paper on the mechanism of action for VAL-083, the Company’s product candidate, in Cell Death and Disease by Nature Publishing Group (Press release, DelMar Pharmaceuticals, OCT 10, 2018, View Source [SID1234530251]).
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The paper, entitled "Dianhydrogalactitol induces replication-dependent DNA damage in tumor cells preferentially resolved by homologous recombination," details the mechanism of action for VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol) involving S-phase dependent DNA double stand breaks (DSB) and homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair. This peer-reviewed publication further validates VAL-083’s unique anti-tumor mechanism and differentiates it from the standard-of-care. In addition, this research supports the use of VAL-083 in combination with drugs targeting cancer cells in S-phase, including topoisomerase inhibitors. Furthermore, the results suggest VAL-083 as a potential treatment option for tumors with impaired HR DNA repair, such as high-grade ovarian carcinomas, or tumors treated with PARP inhibitors.
The research was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Mads Daugaard at the Vancouver Prostate Center, one of the world’s most respected cancer research institutes. Using non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a model system for cancer cells, the research group showed that VAL-083-induced cytotoxicity materialized when the cells entered the S-phase of the cell cycle. The resulting DNA damage subsequently triggered irreversible cell cycle arrest and ultimately cancer cell death. Further analysis revealed that cancer cells attempted to use their HR DNA repair pathway to reverse VAL-083-induced DNA damage and cancer cells with an impaired HR repair pathway were therefore particularly sensitive to VAL-083.
DelMar is currently studying VAL-083 in two collaborator-supported, biomarker driven, Phase 2 clinical trials for MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). As demonstrated in prior publications, the DNA repair protein MGMT is overexpressed in over 60% of GBM patients which causes resistance to the standard-of-care (temozolomide). In contrast to temozolomide, which targets the O6-position of guanine vulnerable to MGMT repair, VAL-083 targets the N7-position of guanine. This distinct mechanism-of-action differentiates VAL-083 from temozolomide and nitrosoureas, allowing VAL-083 to overcome MGMT-related chemoresistance, thereby addressing a significant unmet medical need.
About VAL-083
VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol) is a "first-in-class," bifunctional DNA-targeting agent that introduces interstrand DNA cross-links at the N7-position of guanine leading to DNA double-strand breaks and cancer cell death. VAL-083 has demonstrated clinical activity against a range of cancers including GBM and ovarian cancer in historical clinical trials sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). DelMar has demonstrated that VAL-083’s anti-tumor activity is unaffected by common mechanisms of chemoresistance, including MGMT, in cancer cell models and animal studies. Further details regarding these studies can be found at:
VAL-083 has been granted orphan drug designations by the U.S. FDA Office of Orphan Products for the treatment of glioma, medulloblastoma and ovarian cancer, and in Europe for the treatment of malignant gliomas. VAL-083 has been granted fast-track status for the treatment of recurrent GBM by the US FDA.