Roquefort Therapeutics PLC (LSE:ROQ) said its LYRAMID research and development subsidiary has identified lead compounds that it will take forward for lab-based experiments to test their efficacy in altering cancer cell properties.
It added that further work is currently being carried out to gather more data on the ability of these candidate drugs to modify midkine expression.
Midkine is a growth factor that is thought to play a key role in disease development.
LYRAMID is exploring the use of midkine inhibitors to reverse the resistance to cancer immunotherapy drugs such as checkpoint inhibitors.
Roquefort chairman Stephen West welcomed the news that LYRAMID had identified its lead compounds to progress to the preclinical research phase.
“Additional efficacy testing will help us better understand and monitor the effects of the compounds on modifying the activity of Midkine and form the basis of our patent application,” he said.
“This is a first-in-class drug target with significant clinical potential and we believe the t argeted delivery of Midkine inhibiting RNA therapeutic drugs to tumours represents a novel anti-cancer treatment strategy.”