Noxopharm (ASX:NOX) has announced new data showing how the Sofra technology platform will be leveraged to fight cancer.
The field of immuno-oncology, which involves harnessing the body’s own immune system to destroy cancer cells, has reshaped cancer treatment over recent years and helped millions of patients. However, response rates can be low, and there is an ongoing need for new approaches.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are sensors within the human immune system. Their activation is a primary area of cancer research, with numerous pharmaceutical companies developing potent anti-cancer agents targeting these receptors and securing approval.
Noxopharm is advancing a drug development program to harness Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) against cancer.
The company said it has now developed oligonucleotides capable of greatly amplifying TLR8 activity compared to current best-in-class drugs in clinical development, which in turn could enhance the cancer-fighting activity of standard-of-care therapies like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
This combinatorial approach could open a new opportunity for more potent, controllable, and targeted activation of the immune system against cancer, exploiting a novel mechanism uncovered through in-depth studies of TLR8 biology, as recently published in Nature Immunology and in a preprint.
Noxopharm has conducted a study showing that one such proprietary TLR8-amplifying oligonucleotide boosted the activity of a clinical-stage small-molecule TLR8 agonist more than 200-fold in human skin biopsies. Additionally, a TLR8-amplifying oligonucleotide increased TLR8 activity almost 3-fold in an animal model.
Noxopharm CEO Dr Olivier Laczka said, “We are very encouraged by these results and the potential of the Sofra platform in the cancer space. Our deep and novel understanding of how innate immune receptors such as TLR8 are naturally regulated provides a unique advantage in targeting them.
“Our immuno-oncology program is built on a robust foundation of molecular and mechanistic understanding, and is an excellent example of how we translate fundamental biology into new therapeutic opportunities. With our strong background in oncology and immune-modulating drug development, our data supports a new and different approach to addressing significant unmet needs in cancer treatment, paving the way for a potentially highly disruptive new treatment modality.”