Spain treats world’s first patient with drug that attacks tumor stem cells

For the first time in the world, the Val d’Hebron hospital (Barcelona) tested new cure for cancer in a patient during a phase 1 clinical trial. It is a compound called AOP208 (formerly LB-208). aimed at destroying tumor stem cellssomething that has never been used in oncology before.

This progress comes after preclinical studies showed that this drug has promising antitumor activity to treat patients with leukemia, melanoma and even breast or lung cancer.

The drug is being evaluated in clinical stages in international collaboration with AOP HealthEuropean research group. The SERONCO-1 study, organized by Leukos Biotech Supported by AOP Health, this is the first trial of the global program that has already been applied to an unidentified patient. Of course, the creation of this treatment It closed in 2022.in a transaction in which Leukos and AOP entered into a licensing and collaboration agreement with facilitate product development.

How does the AOP208 connection work?

Regarding its work, treatment AOP208 blocks a protein on the surface of cancer stem cellsserotonin 1B receptor, which in cancer cells takes on a special conformation and controls metabolic pathways blocking, which may be important in treating the underlying cause of the disease.

Compound administered orally and was designed and developed based on research conducted Dr. Ruth Risueñowho has been working at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute since 2012.

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Dr. Risueno had this to say about this medical advance: “We wanted to find new way to attack cancer stem cellssince they are responsible for the occurrence, maintenance of the tumor and the occurrence of relapses, which is a serious problem, especially in some leukemias. Our work at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute has shown that the serotonin 1B receptor is key to this process in leukemia stem cellsWith. Since there was no suitable molecule available to block the receptor, at Leukos we undertook a chemical development program that led us to obtain the molecule AOP208. “We are now excited to begin clinical trials and take our compound to the next level to benefit patients with leukemia and certain solid tumors,” he explained.

Drug trials will continue

For my part, Dr. Christophe KleidAOP Health’s chief scientific officer emphasized that the AOP208 treatment targets “a cancer stem cell receptor that has not been the focus of therapy until now,” which Clade said makes it an investigational drug.first in class“in oncology.

Based on the safety and active dose information expected from the SERONCO-1 trial in patients with advanced solid tumors, AOP Health will conduct a second clinical trial of AOP208 in patients with acute myeloid leukemiaa cancer that currently has a grim prognosis.