Breakthrough therapies targeting DNA Damage Response, aiming to cure cancer and inflammation
OXC-101 is a first-in-class cancer treatment with a unique synergistic dual mechanism of action. It kills cancer cells by stopping cell division and innovatively using oxidative DNA damage and Damage Response. OXC-201 provides a unique approach to block the onset of both inflammation and fibrosis.
Improving cancer treatments
Oxcia aim to provide cancer patients with novel, easy to use treatments, improving both efficacy and tolerability. The lead project, OXC-101 is in clinical development for solid as well as hematological cancers.
OXC-101, a so-called “mitotic MTH1 inhibitor”, takes advantage of the high degree of DNA damage and oxidative stress that exist specifically in cancer cells. Via a unique synergistic two-way mechanism, OXC-101 blocks cancer cell division and introduces additional oxidative DNA damage until the DNA damage reaches a level where it is impossible to repair. The cancer cell cannot grow and subsequently dies. Healthy cells are only marginally affected, which lays the foundation for OXC-101 good tolerability.OXC-101 has potential to halt cancer development in many cancer indications.
Improving treatments in fibrotic and inflammatory diseases
OXC-201 is a novel small molecule OGG1 inhibitor, currently in preclinical development. By exploiting the DDR concept this well-tolerated compound provides a unique way to block the onset of inflammation and fibrosis.
As a first step, OXC-201 is developed as a ground-breaking new approach for the treatment of IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis). OXC-201 blocks the binding between damaged DNA and OGG1. This hinders the onset of as well as the ongoing inflammation and fibrosis. OXC-201 acts early in the inflammation and fibrosis cascade (transcription level), blocking multiple key molecular pathways of IPF, with potential not only to attenuate but also halting the disease.
IPF is a progressive lung disease with dramatically reduced breathing capacity, eventually followed by complete lung failure. The median survival rate for IPF patients is only 3-5 years after diagnosis. Current standard of care for IPF is unsatisfactory.
Besides IPF, OXC-201 has potential in a number of other fibrotic and inflammatory indications, e.g. acute repsiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and allergic asthma.