Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with a median 5-year survival rate of 3-5%. One explanation for the dismal prognosis is the failure of many chemotherapies. Pancreatic tumor cells stimulate neighbouring non-tumor cells (stromal cells) to join and grow around them. This stroma forms a fibrous matrix that promotes 1) aggressive tumor growth, 2) distant metastasis, and 3) form a barrier to chemotherapy and drug delivery. There is a high need to enhance the success of pancreatic cancer treatment by intensively pursuing strategies that target the tumor stroma. We are developing a novel peptide-based drug (AV3), that targets and reduces tumor stroma in pancreatic cancer, and potentially in other fibrosis associated cancers. We have demonstrated that AV3 reduces fibrosis (>50%) and enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy in clinically relevant patient-derived xenograft models (achieving up to 80% tumor regression). Thus, our novel peptide has the potential to become a breakthrough add-on to chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We are a biopharmaceutical company, spun-out in 2016 by the University of Twente. Our mission is to develop novel, targeted, peptide-based drugs to treat pancreatic cancer and other fibrosis-associated cancers and diseases with high unmet medical needs. The FIBROHALT project will (1) create a clear overview of the clinical opportunity for AV3 in pancreatic cancer, 2) develop a strategy to position the drug in the pancreatic cancer market, and (3) create an optimal development strategy, including a de-risk plan for future clinical studies. We will pursue a co-development or licensing deal for AV3 with a pharmaceutical company which will perform latestage clinical development, obtain EMA/FDA approvals, market and sell AV3.
