Project description
Targeting ovarian and bladder cancer with advanced nanoparticles
Available cancer treatment options are limited due to the variability of tumours among patients. To address this issue, Cristal Therapeutics (CT) has developed advanced nanoparticles called CriPec®. These nanoparticles have the ability to target specific tumour sites more effectively. In preclinical studies, CT demonstrated the exceptional therapeutic performance of their lead product, CriPec® docetaxel, a precision medicine approach. This method exhibited promising results in patients, with a significant reduction in neutropenia and alopecia commonly associated with traditional treatments. The EU-funded INTACT project will perform phase II clinical trials in ovarian and bladder cancer to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of CriPec® docetaxel, and decorate the product with a PET tracer (89Zr), which enables oncologists to visualise CriPec® biodistribution in real time.
Objective
Cristal Therapeutics (CT) develops the next generation of nanomedicines to treat cancer. Cancer remains one the leading causes of death worldwide, and current treatment options are insufficient, in part due to the tumour heterogeneity between patients. CT has developed state-of-the-art nanoparticles (CriPec®) to target a drug of choice more selectively to the tumour site(s). The superior therapeutic performance of this approach has already been demonstrated preclinically for CT’ lead product CriPec® docetaxel and a promising clinical phase I trial is finalizing, providing a significantly increased pharmacokinetic and safety profile. CT already observed activity in patients and much reduced neutropenia and alopecia.
In INTACT, CT will perform phase II clinical trials in ovarian and bladder cancer to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of CriPec® docetaxel. Furthermore, CriPec® docetaxel will be decorated with a PET tracer (89Zr), which enables oncologists to visualize CriPec® biodistribution in real-time. Tumour uptake will be correlated with therapeutic responses and result in parameters for future patient selection.
This approach turns the drug into a personalized medicine whereby only those patients that exhibit enhanced tumour-targeting will be treated. This personalisation assures maximum efficacy in selected patients, avoids exposing patients to inappropriate drugs and adverse effects, and allows patients with limited tumour targeting to receive other more appropriate treatment.
CT will use INTACT to close the gap from lab to market and facilitate a licensing deal for CriPec® docetaxel, projected to generate revenues exceeding >€100M in 2024. More importantly, INTACT will validate the CriPec® nanomedicine platform, boost product development for other diseases through licensing deals, and provide a growth of 10FTE by 2022. Success in INTACT will truly launch Cristal Therapeutics’ business.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug discovery
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologybladder cancer
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologynanomedicine
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencespersonalized medicine
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
6229 EV MAASTRICHT
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.