Race Oncology Ltd (ASX:RAC) has fielded positive final results from a preclinical melanoma research program investigating the use of Zantrene® (bisantrene dihydrochloride) in novel drug combinations for the treatment of immunotherapy and drug-resistant melanomas using cell and mouse models.
RAC has previously demonstrated Zantrene’s effectiveness as a standalone treatment to combat melanoma subtypes, but the combination with BRAF and MEK protein kinase inhibitors has exhibited a marked improvement in the treatment’s ability to kill human melanoma cells.
The combination also allowed for better targeting of melanoma in organoid (tissue cultures) and animal tumour models, offering a potential new pathway for Zantrene to be used in melanoma treatment.
Potential “far beyond melanoma”
“These exciting preclinical results offer an alternative path to use Zantrene in the clinic to help advanced melanoma patients who are unable to tolerate, or are unresponsive to immunotherapy,” Race Oncology chief scientific officer Dr Daniel Tillett said.
“The synergy that has now been observed with a diverse range of kinase inhibitors suggests possibilities for the clinical use of Zantrene in combination with kinase inhibitors far beyond melanoma.”
Cancer Australia expects more than 16,000 Australians to be diagnosed with melanoma this year and the skin cancer represented 11.2% of cancers diagnosed in 2021; melanoma was estimated to be the third most commonly diagnosed cancer that year.
"This research adds to the growing body of research we have on Zantrene and its various areas of potential,” Race Oncology CEO Phillip Lynch said.
“While there is a lot of combination work being completed around the world with checkpoint inhibitors, there is much less competition from combinations with BRAF/MEK inhibitors.
“This, therefore, presents an interesting commercial angle for Race to explore as we assess how to best show Zantrene's value to potential partners, regulators and patients."
RAC securities have been as much as 3.25% higher to A$1.91 while the company's market cap is approximately A$298.30 million.