Roquefort Therapeutics PLC (LSE:ROQ, OTCQB:ROQAF) has announced significant advancements in its Midkine mRNA and STAT-6 siRNA oncology programmes, marking important milestones in pre-clinical development aimed at combating liver and colorectal cancers.
In the company's latest update on its Midkine mRNA asset, experiments conducted in validated in vivo models of liver cancer demonstrated the safety and efficacy of a new mRNA therapy combined with a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system.
This development, announced following the company's update on February 6, highlights the therapeutic's potential to target Midkine-expressing liver cancers, a significant factor in disease progression and patient prognosis.
Midkine is thought to be a key factor in the development and progression of cancer.
In the same update, Roquefort said it has made progress in its STAT-6 siRNA programme, focusing on colorectal cancer, announcing four additional siRNA sequences targeting.
Lab-based studies demonstrated a 40-50% reduction in STAT-6 expression in models of colon cancer. The proteins serve key roles in the initiation of tumours and malignant transformation. STAT6 is highly expressed in several types of cancer, including breast, pancreatic, prostate and colorectal forms of the disease.
These developments in Roquefort Therapeutics' oncology programs represent critical steps towards addressing the challenges presented by liver and colorectal cancers, with the potential to introduce first-in-class medicines into the respective markets valued at $3 billion for liver cancer and $12 billion for colon cancer.
"By focusing on oncology patients with the worst prognosis, who are not well treated with existing medicines, we hope to develop new first-in-class medicines that dramatically improve survival and as a consequence, are the most valuable to potential pharma acquirers," said Roquefort chief executive Ajan Reginald.
"Big pharma is set to face a $200 billion fall in revenue from 2024-2030 due to patent expirations while also earning record profits over the last five years.
"Therefore, big pharma will have to fill this gap by acquiring new blockbuster medicines to fill this shortfall, and so it is a great time to have our portfolio of potential blockbuster medicines.
"We remain in active out-licensing discussions with big pharma companies and a specialist private equity fund across the US, EU and Japan and will update the market should a binding agreement be entered into with one or more partners."