OVERVIEW
Metastasis and recurrence are the major causes of cancer mortality. Despite recent advances in molecularly targeted and immuno-oncology therapy, treating or preventing cancer recurrence and/or metastasis remains a hugely unmet clinical need. Most existing anti-cancer therapeutics only shrink primary tumors without affecting metastatic ones. Invadopodia (a.k.a. “cellular feet”) are the driving force of invasion, growth, and metastasis of cancer cells in the three-dimensional microenvironments in vivo. Antapodia Biotherapeutics pioneers the identification of a series of "Master Invadopodial Regulator (MIRs)", which are exclusively expressed by invasive cancer cells and thereby can serve as ideal and safe therapeutic targets. The company develops first-in-class and powerful siRNA therapy and neutralizing antibodies to target MIRs, which provides an excitingly new avenue to treating aggressive and metastatic cancers.
CANCER siRNA THERAPY
Many solid tumors, such as liver, breast, and pancreatic cancers, are characterized by a highly dense fibrotic stroma termed “desmoplasia”, which impedes the penetration of most therapeutics. Nanoparticle formulation is a clinically proven strategy to facilitate drug penetration in desmoplastic cancers, such as liposomal doxorubicin (Lipidox) in breast cancer and liposomal irinotecan (Onyvide) in PDAC. Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-formulated small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have recently emerged as a safe and efficient approach in the molecular targeting of disease driver genes such as transthyretin in liver amyloidosis and ALAS1 in acute hepatic porphyria. Antapodia Biotherapeutics leverages tissue-customized LNPs to deliver invadopodia-targeted siRNA to hepatic or non-hepatic desmoplastic cancers, which show tremendous anti-tumor and anti-metastasis efficacy in various tumor models.
PIPELINE
Product (Target Diseases)
AP-01 (LNP-siRNA)
(HCC, TNBC, GAC)
Molecular Target &
Companion Dx
MIR-01
PoC/PoM studies > In vitro testing > In vivo testing > Toxicity > IND enabling
Product (Target Diseases)
AP-02 (mAb)
(CRPC, PDAC)
Molecular Target
MIR-02
PoC/PoM studies > In vitro testing > In vivo testing > Toxicity > IND enabling
Product (Target Diseases)
AP-03 (mAb)
(CRPC, PDAC)
Molecular Target
MIR-03
PoC/PoM studies > In vitro testing > In vivo testing > Toxicity > IND enabling
AP: Antapodia; MIR: Master Invadopodial Regulators; LNP: lipid nanoparticle; MIR: Master Invadopodial Regulator; HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma; TNBC: triple-negative breast cancer; GAC: gastric adenocarcinoma; mAb: monoclonal antibody; CRPC: castration-resistant prostate cancer; PDAC: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.