Transformable Smart Peptides as Cancer Therapeutics
Anthony Maida
Founder, Chairman and CEO, T-NanoBio Therapeutics, Inc.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, specifically anti PD-1 and anti PD-L1, are the foundation of immuno-oncology cancer treatment. Pembrolizumab was the first anti PD-1 approved by the FDA in 2014 for melanoma and in 2016 for patients with metastatic non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Though Pembrolizumab and other immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments have significantly improved overall survival versus chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC, the 5 year survival for metastatic NSCLC patients that were treated with pembrolizumab is only 32% while the median survival for patients treated with pembrolizumab for melanoma is 2 years. In the US today 43% of cancer patients diagnosed with solid tumors are eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment or approximately 850,000 patients annually, with a similar number of patients eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitors in Europe. The survival data noted for NSCLC and melanoma patients along with the substantial number of global cancer patients eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitors, demonstrate the significant unmet patient need that remains in cancer treatment.
T-Nanobio Therapeutics, is developing a new chemical entity, a bispecific nanoengager composed of two peptides that self-assemble in solution that target tumor and recruits effector immune cells. When combined with Pembrolizumab the results are cure in preclinical models. We incorporated in January of 2023 and are in the process of raising money to support manufacturing, Pharm/Tox studies and the conduct of a Phare I/II study in humans.