Hummelstown, PA – Oncoceutics, Inc. announced the selection of ONC212 to be the first development candidate from its portfolio of analogs derived from its lead compound ONC201. The decision to advance this analog follows the recent completion of a Phase I dose escalation study of ONC201 in patients with various treatment-refractory solid tumors with encouraging results that will be reported in the near future.
ONC212 is an analog of ONC201, which is an exciting clinical-stage drug candidate for oncology with a unique pharmacophore that allowed for the development of a novel family of compounds sharing the same core structure. In vitro and in vivo testing identified ONC212 as an excellent development candidate with compelling activity in certain cancers that are complementary to the activity shown by the parent compound ONC201. As a result, Oncoceutics is undertaking ONC212 programs with the goal of initiating an Investigational New Drug application for this new compound.
The invention of ONC212 represents a major milestone in Oncoceutics’ discovery program that was designed to further exploit the novel pharmacophore and associated mechanism of action of ONC201 in complementary indications. ONC212 showed compelling efficacy, a differentiated spectrum of activity, and a wide therapeutic window. The discovery was made possible in part by research supported by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute (1R43CA177002).
“Building a portfolio of a new class of compounds that offer select advantages is an important next step for the growth of Oncoceutics,” said Martin Stogniew, Ph.D. and Chief Development Officer of Oncoceutics. “We are particularly pleased that this new class of compounds is proprietary to Oncoceutics and emerging individual compounds are protected by composition of matter claims.”
About Oncoceutics
Oncoceutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company targeting the most potent suppressor pathways in human cancer. The first lead compound to result from this program is ONC201, a small molecule drug with a unique mechanism of action that causes significant anti-tumor activity in a variety of types of human cancer. The Company is currently enrolling patients in clinical trials of ONC201, which began in January 2015, following acceptance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the Company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ONC201 in 2014. Oncoceutics and collaborative groups have received approximately $5 million in grants over the last two years from the National Institutes of Health, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and The Musella Foundation, and the company has leveraged additional funding from academic medical research partners that support multiple Phase I/II Clinical trials.
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