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- Posted Tuesday November 22, 2022
Ultrasound activated microbubbles enhance the activity of standard of care therapeutics in pancreatic cancer
PHOENIX, Arizona and OSLO, Norway — November 21, 2022 — Scientists at the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, and EXACT Therapeutics AS (“EXACT-Tx”, Euronext Growth: EXTX), a Norwegian clinical stage precision health company, today report that the ultrasound based Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®) significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy of standard care therapies in a preclinical model for pancreatic cancer.
The study, titled “Effect of Acoustic Cluster Therapy combined with chemotherapy in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer”, was published in the Journal of Controlled Release. This study was partly funded by a grant from Innovation Norway.
The ACT® technology is based on microclusters of microbubble-microdroplets and when sonicated, vaporization of the microdroplets lead to the formation of larger ACT® bubbles. The formation and subsequent oscillation of the ACT® bubbles in the microvasculature produces mechanical bioeffects that enhance drug delivery and efficacy. TGen has evaluated the effectiveness of the technology in a preclinical pancreatic cancer model, and the results demonstrated that ACT® significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of two cornerstone treatment regimens in the management of pancreatic cancer. The best effect was seen when drug administration preceded the ACT® treatment, but interestingly the anti-tumor effect was almost maintained when the drugs were administered after ACT®-treatment was finalized. Previous studies have shown that the main effect of ACT® is not on the drug itself, but rather affects the vasculature and tumor microenvironment to facilitate drug delivery and therapeutic response.
“Our study demonstrates that ACT can significantly improve the effect of two standard of care chemotherapeutic regimens in a patient-derived pancreatic cancer xenograft model. The ACT treatment resulted in a significant increase in tumor growth inhibition and a 7.2 times higher probability of having a complete remission of the tumor compared to the chemotherapeutics alone.” said Haiyong Han, Ph.D., a Professor in TGen’s Molecular Medicine Division and the study’s senior author.
This year, more than 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and nearly 50,000 will die from this disease, making it the third leading cause of cancer-related death. With the best treatments currently available, the median survival for patients with advanced disease is about 10 months following diagnosis, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 9 percent of all patients.
“Pancreatic cancer is known to be notoriously resistant to treatment, in part because of poor drug delivery.” said Daniel Von Hoff, M.D., TGen’s Distinguished Professor and one of the nation’s leading experts in pancreatic cancer. “The results from the study are some of the most encouraging ones we have seen in preclinical models for pancreatic cancer, and we look forward to being involved in the further development of this promising technology.”
Per Walday, Ph.D., CEO of EXACT-Tx, said, “We are very pleased to announce the publication of these encouraging results from our collaboration with the prestigious Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. These data are produced in a model with patient-derived material, which more closely resembles the tumor tissue characteristics of pancreatic cancer in man compared to cell-line based models. The results further underpin the established potential of ACT to enhance standard of care treatments for difficult to treat cancers and we look forward to progressing our clinical development program in this area.”
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About TGen, part of City of Hope
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is part of City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.
About EXACT-Tx
EXACT-Tx is a clinical-stage Norwegian precision health company developing a technology platform for targeted therapeutic enhancement – Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®). ACT® follows a unique approach to ultrasound-mediated, targeted drug enhancement – with the potential to significantly amplify the clinical utility of a wide range of therapeutic agents across a multitude of indications including within oncology (chemotherapy, immunotherapy), infectious diseases, and brain diseases.
About ACT®
For further information on ACT®, please visit www.exact-tx.com
The study, titled “Effect of Acoustic Cluster Therapy combined with chemotherapy in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer”, was published in the Journal of Controlled Release. This study was partly funded by a grant from Innovation Norway.
The ACT® technology is based on microclusters of microbubble-microdroplets and when sonicated, vaporization of the microdroplets lead to the formation of larger ACT® bubbles. The formation and subsequent oscillation of the ACT® bubbles in the microvasculature produces mechanical bioeffects that enhance drug delivery and efficacy. TGen has evaluated the effectiveness of the technology in a preclinical pancreatic cancer model, and the results demonstrated that ACT® significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of two cornerstone treatment regimens in the management of pancreatic cancer. The best effect was seen when drug administration preceded the ACT® treatment, but interestingly the anti-tumor effect was almost maintained when the drugs were administered after ACT®-treatment was finalized. Previous studies have shown that the main effect of ACT® is not on the drug itself, but rather affects the vasculature and tumor microenvironment to facilitate drug delivery and therapeutic response.
“Our study demonstrates that ACT can significantly improve the effect of two standard of care chemotherapeutic regimens in a patient-derived pancreatic cancer xenograft model. The ACT treatment resulted in a significant increase in tumor growth inhibition and a 7.2 times higher probability of having a complete remission of the tumor compared to the chemotherapeutics alone.” said Haiyong Han, Ph.D., a Professor in TGen’s Molecular Medicine Division and the study’s senior author.
This year, more than 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and nearly 50,000 will die from this disease, making it the third leading cause of cancer-related death. With the best treatments currently available, the median survival for patients with advanced disease is about 10 months following diagnosis, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 9 percent of all patients.
“Pancreatic cancer is known to be notoriously resistant to treatment, in part because of poor drug delivery.” said Daniel Von Hoff, M.D., TGen’s Distinguished Professor and one of the nation’s leading experts in pancreatic cancer. “The results from the study are some of the most encouraging ones we have seen in preclinical models for pancreatic cancer, and we look forward to being involved in the further development of this promising technology.”
Per Walday, Ph.D., CEO of EXACT-Tx, said, “We are very pleased to announce the publication of these encouraging results from our collaboration with the prestigious Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. These data are produced in a model with patient-derived material, which more closely resembles the tumor tissue characteristics of pancreatic cancer in man compared to cell-line based models. The results further underpin the established potential of ACT to enhance standard of care treatments for difficult to treat cancers and we look forward to progressing our clinical development program in this area.”
# # #
About TGen, part of City of Hope
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is part of City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.
About EXACT-Tx
EXACT-Tx is a clinical-stage Norwegian precision health company developing a technology platform for targeted therapeutic enhancement – Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®). ACT® follows a unique approach to ultrasound-mediated, targeted drug enhancement – with the potential to significantly amplify the clinical utility of a wide range of therapeutic agents across a multitude of indications including within oncology (chemotherapy, immunotherapy), infectious diseases, and brain diseases.
About ACT®
- ACT® is a proprietary formulation consisting of microbubbles and microdroplets that are activated through the application of ultrasound with the consequent increase in targeted delivery of a co-administered therapeutic agent
- ACT® is supported by a strong and broad preclinical package demonstrating therapeutic enhancement in multiple oncology models (pancreatic, breast, colon, prostate) as well as blood-brain barrier penetration
- Initial focus of the Company is oncology, however the ACT® platform has potential across therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, CNS, immunotherapy) and product classes.
For further information on ACT®, please visit www.exact-tx.com
