Unibioscreen

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FlandersBio offers an up-to-date life sciences database containing all the life sciences companies with biotech activity in Flanders, and all FlandersBio members. The guide provides easy and fast access to the local life sciences community.

Website: http://www.unibioscreen.com
Phone: +32 2 529 58 34
FlandersBio Member
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Business Focus

Unibioscreen has successfully discovered, patented and developed two novel drug candidates now in clinical trials in cancer patients. The pipeline is supported by early stage compounds. Unibioscreen has a lean organization with a well controlled burn rate.

Unibioscreen is studying options to further develop its anti-cancer drugs through strategic partnerships and to finance its development.

Company Profile

Unibioscreen’s core business is the identification and development of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) with focus on unique, novel and effective

cytotoxic, cytostatic chemotherapeutics that kill apoptosis- and/or multidrug resistant cancer cells
and/or
anti-migratory chemotherapeutics that fight metastases,

for the targeted treatment of cancer and its metastases.

Unibioscreen has two drug candidates in clinical development (Phase I) and a corporate partnership agreement closed.

Science & Technology or Services

UNBS1450 is hemi-synthesized from a novel cardenolide: 2’’-Oxovoruscharin, extracted from Calotropis procera root bark.

UNBS1450 has a unique MoA : UNBS1450 is a sodium pump antagonist (targeting cancers that over-express the sodium pump alpha subunits). Preclinical work has shown that UNBS1450 provokes disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and kills cancer cells through non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms (i.e. autophagy) and that UNBS1450 overcomes major pathways responsible for the failure of existing cancer chemotherapy (multi drug resistance).

A phase I study in cancer patients is ongoing at 2 clinical sites in Europe :

NL : Leiden University Medical Center (Dr. Hans Gelderblom) and

B : Leuven University Hospital Gasthuisberg (Dr. Patrick Schöffski).

The fifth dose cohort (350 µg) is open and enrolling.

No DLTs and no drug related SAEs/SUSARs have been observed so far.

Antitumor activity has not yet been perceived, though several patients with prolonged stable disease have been noticed.

UNBS5162 is a novel naphthalimide, with a unique MoA, discovered, patented & developed by Unibioscreen.

UNBS5162 has in vitro efficacy in a wide range of tumor cell lines & antitumor activity in several in vivo models. Also acts as a radiosensitizer agent in vitro.

The phase I trial in cancer patients is performed under an IND at 3 clinical sites in the US : Scottsdale Health Care (Dr. Raoul Tibes), University of Arizona (Dr. Daruka Mahadevan) , Mayo Clinic (Dr. Donald Northfelt). The Principal Investigator is Dr. Daniel Von Hoff.

Development responsibility is taken by Drais Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as part of the collaboration entered in August 2008. 24 patients have been treated in 8 dose cohorts. Drais made an upfront payment and has covered all development costs for Phase I in cancer patients which is now complete. Discussions on the future development are ongoing. DLT Phase I data are being analyzed for assessing the implications on the future development planning. Potential next steps for UNBS5162 include several potential study designs, f.e. : Phase Ib study of a lower dose with prolonged IV infusion Phase Ib study using intraperitoneal administration in ovarian cancer.