Medicus Pharma (NASDAQ:MDCX) CEO Raza Bokhari talked with Proactive about the company's newly announced regulatory approval to expand its Phase 2 trial into the United Arab Emirates.
The study is focused on a noninvasive therapy for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of cancer globally. Bokhari explained that the investigational treatment uses cellulose-based microneedle arrays tip-loaded with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. This approach aims to provide an alternative to conventional surgical interventions, which represent a $15 billion market.
The expansion into the UAE, with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as the principal investigator, complements ongoing trials in nine sites across the United States and additional locations in Europe. Bokhari noted that this strategic step broadens the reach of the study to a region actively advancing biotech innovation.
“The treatment solution, which is our novel treatment, needs to expand beyond the shores of the United States,” Bokhari said, highlighting the global nature of skin cancer.
He also emphasized that the microneedle platform could have future applications beyond BCC, including in actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma in situ.