BioTech/Drugs - San Diego, CA, US
Cend Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on a novel approach to enhance and more selectively deliver treatments to address a range of solid tumor cancers. Many solid tumor cancers, including pancreatic and colorectal cancers and many breast cancers are surrounded by dense fibrotic tissue. This limits the efficacy of current standard-of-care chemotherapy for these cancers. Emerging immunotherapy treatments, including checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapies such as CAR-T and NK cells, as well as nucleic acid-based therapies, such as siRNA, antisense, mRNAs and immunostimulatory oligonucleotides face challenges in penetrating solid tumors. Cend has clinical proof of concept for its tumor-targeted tissue penetrating investigationThe lead compound, CEND-1 (scientifically also known as iRGD), is a highly innovative molecular mimicry agent that is able to activate a drug transport mechanism specifically in solid tumors. To date, there are more than 200 studies using Cend's proprietary technology, providing an unprecedented amount of preclinical validation / proof-of-concept. CEND-1 utilizes a natural "CendR" transport system, effectively creating a temporary drug conduit within tumors. While the CendR system is active – and the tumors "open" – the tumor penetration and efficacy of anti-cancer drugs is enhanced.CEND-1 has demonstrated favorable safety/tolerability as well as clinical activity in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients when combined with standard-of-care chemotherapy, with 59% ORR (vs. 23% benchmark), median treatment duration 7.4+ months (vs. 3.9 months). Randomized phase 2 for pancreatic cancer is planned for 2021 as well as trials to explore additional combination therapies and additional indications are planned to initiate in 2021 and 2022.
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