AVX420 is our drug candidate for treating leukemia. The goal moving forward is to identify a suitable co-development partner for financing upcoming studies or selling the project if the right conditions are obtained.
Our drug candidate AVX420 is a molecule that blocks the enzyme cPLA2α that plays a key role in the development of cancer and inflammation. AVX420 has shown promising results in several preclinical models for leukemia. What is unique about AVX420 is that the molecule attacks the cancer in multiple ways.
Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children and is among the top ten most prevalent cancers in adults, with about 4 out of 10 not surviving more than five years. In Sweden, approximately 62.000 new cases of cancers are diagnosed each year. The treatments available today often act only on one factor in tumor development and attack healthy cells, leading to serious side effects.
The world’s largest cancer drug is MSD’s Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) which is indicated for several cancers and has an annual turnover of 17 billion US dollars. Despite available drugs like chemotherapy and immunotherapy, a large unmet need persists for new cancer treatments that are both efficacious and safe.
The global market for leukemia is estimated at
2024
Establish collaboration with a partner.
2025
Complete the development of an intravenous formulation for clinical use and begin preclinical safety testing before testing on humans.
2025
First patient in phase 1 clinical trial on humans.
2027
Key results from phase 1 study.
AVX420 is a second-generation molecule within the AVX family of potent and selective inhibitors of the cPLA2α enzyme. High levels of cPLA2α are linked to cancer progression and poor prognosis for many types of cancer, as well as to poorer outcomes from existing treatments. Inhibiting cPLA2α in combination with standard treatments, such as radiation, has shown improved therapeutic effects in preclinical models.
Studies show that AVX420 induces a specific type of cell death, programmed cell death, at low concentrations specifically in human blood cancer cells, without affecting healthy T-cells. This indicates that AVX420 selectively targets blood cancer cells and carries a lower risk of side effects compared to conventional treatments.
New unpublished data show that in an animal model of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), where AVX420 was administered intravenously, a significant dose-dependent effect was observed after only three weeks. Programmed cell death was identified, distinguishing it from direct cell death through necrosis, which is often associated with the side effects of cancer treatments. Necrosis is characterized by the usual side effect profile commonly seen with chemotherapy and induces an inflammatory reaction, something that programmed cell death does not. This means that AVX420 has selective properties against blood cancer cells and a lower risk of causing side effects to the healthy immune system, which is often seen with existing treatment options.
Current preliminary results indicate that AVX420 has great potential to become a monotherapy or combined treatment. With these new data, we can expect significantly fewer side effects in clinical use of AVX420 compared to standard therapies. This represents an important milestone towards further preclinical and clinical development.
The plan is to continue with smaller research activities while identifying separate funding (for example, through venture capital, licensing agreements, etc.) during 2024 before the product formulation is completed and the final part of the preclinical testing phase begins.
AXV420 is developed by prof. Berit Johansen at NTNU in Trondheim, Norway supported by several peer reviewed publications, supported by prof. Edward Dennis, UC San Diego and prof. George Kokotos, University of Athens, Greece. The work on the role of cPLA2α and the role of AVX analogues has extensively been investigated by prof. Berit Johansen, and prof. Bjørn Tore Gjertsen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, prof. Magne Børset, St. Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway and prof. Joseph Bonventre, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. This work is supported by strong global patents in place and with protection beyond 2040.