Light the Fire
Immunotherapy for osteosarcoma (a highly aggressive bone cancer)
Project from 2023 Allocated sum 700 000,00 €
The Foundation is supporting the development of an immune system stimulant which is showing very promising cure rates, particularly for cancers for which there is currently no convincing treatment.
Situation
In the fight against cancer, immunotherapy – which involves helping the immune system to fight the disease – is showing excellent results in some patients. But… only 25% of patients respond to immunotherapy, and only 10% are cured without risk of relapse.
One of the problems is that ‘cold’ cancer tumors slip under the immune system’s radar, causing immunotherapies to fail.
Potential solution
Our project leader is developing a therapy, called ONCO-Boost, which transforms ‘cold’ tumors into ‘warm’ ones, making them more detectable by the immune system.
How does it work?
By boosting the immune system, cold tumors become more visible and obvious targets for immune cells to attack and eliminate.
Used in combination with other (immuno-)therapies, it considerably increases their effectiveness against cancers.
Extremely promising results
In pre-clinical tests on lymphoma, the total cure rate increased from 17% to 100% with this molecule, compared with the best current immunotherapy.
In tests on particularly aggressive colorectal cancer, the total cure rate rose from 0% with the leading immunotherapy for solid cancers to 57% in combination with this compound.
Finally, in preclinical tests on osteosarcoma (a bone cancer) for which there is currently no effective therapeutic solution, the molecule used as monotherapy achieved a total cure rate of 78%.
To confirm these promising results, the next step is to move on to the clinical phases, which will see the first patients benefit from this promising molecule.
Against which cancers?
Initially, the aim is to develop this product as a monotherapy against osteosarcoma, a highly aggressive bone cancer affecting 12-20 year-olds in particular.
In a second phase, the product will be combined with existing immunotherapies that are ineffective against “cold” tumors, in order to restore their natural efficacy.
Competitive advantages
Major pharmaceutical companies have tried to develop similar products, but these have to be injected directly into tumors, which are often difficult to access or disseminated (metastasized).
ONCO-Boost, on the other hand, is a soluble molecule with low toxicity, enabling it to be administered intravenously. With a better toxicity profile, it also offers a better therapeutic index (minimum effective dose without adverse effects).
Requirements / use of funds
To bring the molecule into Phase I/IIa clinical trials, the project sponsor needs to produce 1 gram of ONCO-Boost solution and then 3 grams for subsequent phases. This production must be carried out in a clinical-grade plant with a production cost in excess of €3 million. This will enable the treatment to be injected into the first patients in 2027.
In addition to the development and production of the molecules, a budget of €35,000 per patient is to be considered for hospital expenses during phases I/IIa.
The project leader is based in France and has opened a subsidiary in Liège to accelerate its development.
Having already contributed €700,000 to the project, and in view of the very positive results obtained and the project leader’s objective needs, the Fondation Fournier-Majoie is willing to increase its commitment to €500,000.
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