In many cases, current treatments are not sufficient to cure cancer patients. A major reason for this is the development of drug resistance, where the cancer manages to evade the effects of treatment through various mechanisms. Drug resistance is the main obstacle to curing cancer patients, and currently there is a lack of effective drugs to circumvent these mechanisms.
It is in this medical vacuum that the Danish biotechnology company Scandion Oncology are active, with the aim of allowing today's chemotherapy to work longer and better.
Many patients develop drug resistance
The most advanced candidate SCO-101 is being developed in two studies: a phase II study in metastatic colon cancer, CHORUS, and a phase Ib study in pancreatic cancer, PANTAX.
These studies are focused on metastatic colon and pancreatic cancer, where drug resistance occurs in approximately 90 percent of patients.
This spring, the company expanded the scope of SCO-101 to include acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer with a relapse rate of over 50 percent. A significant proportion of relapses can be attributed to drug resistance, and the protein that SCO-101 targets, namely ABCG2, plays a significant role in this resistance.
Potential to combat drug resistance in cancer patients
SCO-101 is given in combination with the current standard-of-care in each indication – FOLFIRI and nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine. The company's goal is to improve the effectiveness of existing standard treatments, provide increased clinical effect and thereby longer survival and improved quality of life.
Patent approval in the EU grants market exclusivity until 2042
On July 18, announced Scandion that the European Patent Office (EPO) intends to grant a substance patent for SCO-101. This decision follows a positive assessment issued by the EPO in January 2023. Read more here.
If granted, the patent will cover the solid crystal forms of SCO-101, including the form of the substance that Scandion expects to commercialize. The patent, which will be valid until 2042, thus gives the company close to 20 years of commercial exclusivity for SCO-101.
In a comment to BioStock, Scandion Oncology's CEO says Francois Martelet:
“We are deeply committed to combating drug resistance in cancer patients and in SCO-101 we see promising opportunities to achieve this goal. By developing a combination therapy that targets drug resistance while simultaneously improving the efficacy of existing therapies, we hope to make a real difference for patients. With this patent approval, we also have new opportunities to expand the development of SCO-101 into new indications and drug combinations, which in turn could make a future treatment available to more patients.”