Fractalkine Blockers Against Cancer and Inflammation

Protect the heart and kidneys in connection with a heart attack and acute kidney damage, by blocking the inflammatory cells while other parts of the immune system remain intact as protection against infection.

Attack treatment-resistant tumors by blocking the cancer cells’ ability to repair their DNA and thus resist chemotherapy and radiation, while surrounding healthy tissue is not affected to the same extent, which aids rehabilitation.

Focus: Acute heart, kidney and lung damage that occurs due to vascular problems and resulting excessive inflammation, so-called hyperinflammation.

Status: Phase 2 clinical development.

Every year, about 500,000 people worldwide suffer from a major acute myocardial infarction. These patients undergo a vital treatment that opens and dilates the clogged vessel, and then a hyperinflammation can be triggered due to mechanisms that include activation of the fractalkine system. Hyperinflammation can aggravate heart damage and contribute to the severe prognosis, which carries the risk of death or other serious complications in one in four patients within five years of the heart attack. Negative effects of hyperinflammation include a deterioration in the function of the important small vessels that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrition and a change in the shape and function of the heart, which together are closely linked to an increased risk of chronic heart failure.

In Kancera’s ongoing Phase IIa study with KAND567 in myocardial infarction patients, the fractalkine system is blocked with the aim of counteracting hyperinflammation, reducing heart damage and, in the long run, facilitating the return to a normal life.

Focus: Orphan indications with the capacity to break down resistance to cytostatics by blocking the ability of cancer cells to repair DNA.

Status: Clinical preparatory studies and production prior to phase Ia / IIa in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer affects more than 300,000 women worldwide each year. The disease is considered to be the most difficult-to-treat form of gynecological cancer and the need for long-term treatments is therefore great.

Kancera´s drug candidate KAND145 blocks the tumor cells´ ability to repair DNA, which may affect treatment-resistant tumors so that they become sensitive to chemotherapy again.

KAND145 thus has the potential to be a valuable addition to the treatment of difficult-to-treat cancer. Kancera is now conducting preclinical studies in preparition for the upcoming clinical evaluation of KAND145 against ovarian cancer.

Focus: Increase the effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatment of stage II and III rectal cancer to achieve complete recovery of the tumor, reduce the need for radical surgery and thus preserve intestinal function.

Status: Preclinical evaluation of the proportion of patients who can benefit from treatment and development of a product for local treatment of the tumor.

Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the world and rectal cancer is the second most serious form. In stages II and III of rectal cancer, the tumor has advanced but not yet metastasized. The main clinical goal for the treatment of these patients is to increase the proportion who respond well to chemotherapy and radiation (about 30% respond positively to this treatment today) to prevent the spread and reduce the need for comprehensive surgery that destroys intestinal function. Kancera’s drug candidate KAND757 has in preclinical studies shown increased effect of chemotherapy and radiation and shown effective killing of isolated human tumor tissue. This effect profile of KAND757 is based on the drug candidate uniquely blocking the cancer’s metabolism, which disrupts the cancer’s ability to generate energy and building blocks for repair. Thus, KAND757 exhibits the properties that are sought after for the next generation of so-called “neo-adjuvants” that aim to strengthen the cancer-specific effect of chemotherapy and radiation and thus contribute to prolonging life and maintaining quality of life for patients with rectal cancer.