PEPtide-based Therapy for recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Description du projet

Prévenir la récidive du cancer de l’ovaire

La récidive du cancer de l’ovaire demeure un défi majeur en oncologie, avec des taux de rechute dépassant 80 % dans les cas à un stade avancé. Les thérapies actuelles ciblent de larges mécanismes de réparation et de signalisation de l’ADN. Leur spécificité limitée entraîne toutefois des effets secondaires importants. Le projet PEPTOC, financé par le CER, propose un changement de paradigme, passant du traitement des récidives à leur prévention en ciblant les voies cellulaires sous-jacentes à la résistance à la chimiothérapie. Les chercheurs valideront PEPTOC dans des modèles précliniques in vivo et protégeront la propriété intellectuelle avant de procéder à la commercialisation. Afin de faciliter la transposition des connaissances en milieu clinique, le projet impliquera des cliniciens, des patients et les acteurs du secteur pharmaceutique. En cas de succès, PEPTOC pourrait constituer la première option thérapeutique préventive contre la récidive du cancer de l’ovaire.

Objectif

Ovarian cancer recurrence after complete clinical response is a major challenge in gynecologic oncology. Recurrence occurs in nearly 25% of early-stage cases and in more than 80% of advanced-stage cases. Current targeted therapies for the treatment of ovarian cancer relapse are still in Phase II clinical trials and, while these therapies represent significant advances in cancer treatment, they target broad inhibitory mechanisms that affect DNA repair and signaling pathways in a variety of cell types, which lead to significant side-effects.
To address the critical challenge of recurrent ovarian cancer, PEPTOC’s solution shifts the paradigm from treating recurrence to preventing it. By strategically targeting the cellular pathways involved in chemotherapy resistance, PEPTOC offers a preventive approach to avoid ovarian cancer recurrence.
This ERC Proof of Concept project aims to:
1) Perform preclinical validation of PEPTOC in an in vivo model.
2) Secure intellectual property and define the commercialization pathway.
3) Develop and implement a comprehensive business strategy.
Taken together, the objectives of PEPTOC will pursue the steps necessary to develop a viable therapeutic option: ensure that the therapy is both safe and effective in vivo, protect intellectual property and define the commercialization pathway (spinout company and strategic partnerships, if needed), and engage with relevant stakeholders through a series of activities, including workshops with oncologists, focus groups with patients, and meetings with pharmaceutical representatives and investors at industry events. To guide these efforts, we will rely on the expertise of Key Opinion Leaders serving on an Advisory Board to ensure that PEPTOC’s development is strategically aligned with market needs. If successful, PEPTOC would represent a breakthrough innovation in oncology, providing a first-of-its-kind solution for the prevention of ovarian cancer recurrence.