Objective
Cancer is a devastating and costly condition expected to increase significantly by 2030. According to the 2018 WHO report, the global cancer burden is estimated at 18.1 million new cases annually . Mucositis is a condition in cancer patients that manifests as severe ulcerations in the mouth and the gastrointestinal tract. Oral mucositis (OM) is cancer treatment's most significant side effect worldwide .
Mucositis can be caused by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. It occurs in nearly 40% of patients receiving conventional CT, 80% receiving high-dose CT as conditioning for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 100% receiving H&N radiation therapy, with 65% of those progressing to severe grade levels with significant adverse outcomes.
The problem with OM is that while current therapies are focussed on dealing with its symptoms like inability to eat or significant pain, there is no real cure or prevention for OM itself. Existing products in the market for OM mainly offer symptom management focusing on pain or, at best, duration reduction claims. The one approved drug for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Amifostine, has severe side effects and tumour protective properties, making it hard to use as it interferes with the actual cancer treatment. Kepivance, which is only approved for haematological malignancies, is challenging to administer, posing compliance issues and does not solve the more significant need for solid tumours.
Umayana has developed a proprietary preventative and curative formulation to combat OM in cancer patients.
Global Patent: WO2020072987 USA Patent: 11331360 (B2).
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.3.2 - European innovation ecosystems Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
34906 ISTANBUL
Türkiye
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.