Oxcia today announces that it has entered into an early research collaboration with LEO Pharma to explore OXC-101 in topical formulations for medical dermatology indications including psoriasis.
Oxcia is developing an oral product, OXC-101, mainly for treatments of cancer. In one of Oxcia's clinical trials, a cancer patient with plaque psoriasis experienced significant improvement in the disease during OXC-101 treatment, indicating that OXC-101 might also have potential in skin diseases, as previously seen in pre-clinical models. OXC-101 is a mitotic MTH1 inhibitor with biological rationale also to treat skin diseases.
This collaboration, aimed at exploring OXC-101 for medical dermatology, aligns with Oxcia’s vision of extending the application of its technology platform beyond cancer. LEO Pharma’s proven expertise and long-standing success in developing dermatology treatments that deliver significant therapeutic advancements make them the ideal partner to help explore the potential of Oxcia’s OXC-101.
“We are very happy about the collaboration with LEO Pharma, a leading global dermatology company. Cancer cells and activated T cells have many similarities, i.e. increased oxidative stress and heightened levels of the enzyme MTH1, meaning that OXC-101 has potential also in auto-immune diseases. Together with Professor Helleday and Professor Enerbäck's research groups, Oxcia have shown that OXC-101 has good effects in disease models for psoriasis and it is exciting that this is now further investigated. The patient that responded well on OXC-101 treatment is encouraging and we are looking forward to seeing the results of the continued development. At Oxcia, we also see the psoriasis project as a confirmation of the potential and versatility of the O2-DDR platform” says Ulrika Warpman Berglund, CEO of Oxcia.
About Oxcia
Oxcia is developing unique, revolutionary treatments through innovative use of oxidative DNA damage and DNA damage response (DDR) to treat both cancer and inflammation- and fibrosis-related diseases. Oxcia's projects exploit the fact that the diseased cell has altered DDR with high levels of DNA damage and oxidative stress to treat the disease. Oxcia's proprietary technology platform, O2-DDR is versatile and different therapeutic effects can be achieved depending on which proteins are targeted and how they are modified. The O2-DDR platform enables the application of oxidative stress to cancer cells to kill them and the blocking of oxidative stress to stop inflammation so that the body does not overreact and cause patient harm. Oxcia currently has two O2-DDR drug candidates, both with the potential to become first-in-class drugs. OXC-101 (karonudib, TH1579) is currently being studied in a Phase I/II study in patients with relapsed or refractory AML or MDS. OXC-201 (TH5487) is being developed against inflammation and fibrosis-related diseases, with a focus on pulmonary fibrosis, and is in the preclinical phase. The psoriasis project is one of the exploratory programs. The technology platform forms the basis for Oxcia's continued research into identified as well as new target proteins, with the ambition to significantly extend and improve the lives of patients affected by cancer and inflammatory diseases.
About LEO Pharma
LEO Pharma is a global leader in medical dermatology. LEO Pharma deliver innovative solutions for skin health, building on a century of experience with breakthrough medicines in healthcare. LEO Pharma are committed to making a fundamental difference in people’s lives, and the broad portfolio of treatments serves close to 100 million patients in over 70 countries annually. Headquartered in Denmark, LEO Pharma has a team of 4,000 people worldwide. LEO Pharma is co-owned by majority shareholder the LEO Foundation and, since 2021, Nordic Capital. For more information, visit www.leo-pharma.com
For more information, please contact
Ulrika Warpman Berglund, CEO of Oxcia
Phone: +46 73 270 96 05
Email: ulrika.warpmanberglund@oxcia.com