Aion Therapeutic Inc (CSE:AION) said a combined formulation of its medicinal mushrooms and a medical cannabis treatment developed by UK-based Apollon Formularies PLC (LON:APOL) have been effective at killing HER2+ breast cancer cells, the cause of around 20% of all breast cancers.
Toronto-based Aion said that joint testing showed that the combined formulations have been effective at killing HER2+ breast cancer cells grown in 3D cell cultures.
The medicinal mushroom formulations were developed by Aion’s subsidiary AI Pharmaceuticals Jamaica Limited, while the medical cannabis formulations were developed by Apollon's affiliate, Apollon Formularies Jamaica Limited.
The pharmaceutical firm said testing by independent laboratory BIOENSIS had shown Apollon's medical cannabis formulations were “particularly effective” at killing living HER2+ cancer cells directly, while Aion's medicinal mushroom formulations were most effective in stimulating the immune system's T-cell production to attack and kill HER2+ cancer cells.
"Cannabinoids have been seen to exert 'antitumor' effects by a number of different means, including killing cancer cells directly as well as inhibiting transformed cell growth and tumor metastasis,” Apollon CEO Dr Stephen Barnhill said in a statement.
“Apollon Jamaica, using results from its proprietary artificial intelligence based analysis on strain genetics, has cultivated and processed certain of its proprietary medical cannabis products with cancer treatment expressly in mind. We are excited that our formulations have been validated via independent laboratory testing to kill HER2+ breast cancer cells in 3D cell culture through direct cytotoxicity."
Dr Barnhill noted that a “combination of anticancer therapies, especially ones involving separate treatment pathways, may have advantages over single-agent-based strategies” as they may allow simultaneous or serial targeting of “tumour growth, progression, and/or spreading at different levels with efforts to kill cancer cells.”
Meanwhile, Aion Therapeutic Chief Science Officer Dr Herbert A Fritsche said: "Our recent medicinal mushroom formulation testing demonstrated that two formulations, AION F7 and AION F8, when used together, showed high efficacy in killing HER2+ breast cancer cells via immune stimulated cytotoxicity by T-cells and macrophages.”
“This result suggests that these Aion medicinal mushroom formulations have a similar effectiveness as Trastuzumab (Herceptin, Roche), a monoclonal antibody treatment."
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and accounts for most cancer related deaths. In 2019, the breast cancer market was more than $20 billion, with 68% of therapies sold targeting HER2+ breast cancer. The breast cancer market is expected to grow 9% annually to over US$47 billion by 2029, according to Decision Resources Group analysts Paul Wilcock and Rachel M Webster.
Aion is an international pharma, nutraceutical and cosmeceuticals business. It’s subsidiary AI Pharmaceuticals Jamaica Limited develops formulations and products that utilize mushrooms — functional and ones including psilocybin — fungi, and other natural formulations from medicinal plants in a legal environment.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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