The therapy we are developing has the potential to significantly transform the treatment landscape for lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and other cancers. Given that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with an extremely low survival rate beyond five years, the need for more effective, less toxic, and widely applicable treatments is urgent. The use of Antisense Oligonucleotides (AONs) to regulate alternative splicing (AS) represents a groundbreaking approach. The results of our project so far are encouraging, as the expansion of active chemical modifications and the effects of formulation with lung targeting properties showed remarkable effects inducing alternative splicing in our quick in vivo assays. Through upcoming pre-clinical studies with two species, our project aims to bring this therapy to clinical trials, marking the first application of AON-based splicing modulation in clinical oncology.
Seeking to boost the development of our therapy, we have worked on the incorporation of a spin off company, that will articulate the exploitation of the resulting products. In this sense, a Go-to-Market strategy, full Business Plan and preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis have been performed as critical milestones for the launch of the spin-off company. Our team has also been actively participating in trainings and initiatives to bring together an experienced and complementary team that is leading the incorporation of the company, proving our commitment to bringing this therapy to market. Moreover, TAONas-LUAD’s core technology is protected by one patent family that has been recently granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and that is under examination by the European Patent Office and expected to be granted soon. Additionally, a strengthened IP strategy is under development, expanding the future spin-off’s portfolio with a new platform and additional targets.
Lung adenocarcinoma accounts for almost 800.000 new cases each year worldwide, representing a significant portion of the global cancer burden. Our AON-based therapy holds the potential to directly benefit this large patient population, offering a more effective and less toxic alternative to current treatments. However, the impact of our therapy extends far beyond its immediate application to LUAD. Given the misregulation of our target gene in a variety of other cancers, including skin squamous cell carcinoma, breast invasive carcinoma, prostate cancer, and hepatocarcinoma, these cancers represent substantial potential markets, where our AONs could be employed effectively.
