Glioblastoma Drug Conjugate
Industry: Cancer treatment
A new chimeric small molecule has been designed that combines the tumor-specific cytostatic activity of the existing drug Surfen and the cytotoxic activity of temozolomide. This new combination therapy could offer a highly specific and effective means of targeting glioblastoma, an aggressive and deadly type of brain tumor.
Temozolomide is a standard-of-care chemotherapy treatment, and Surfen has been shown to bind to extracellular sugars and can reduce cell migration in vitro and invasive tumor spread in vivo. They were combined into a chimeric drug using a glioblastoma-specific cleavable linker.
Most patients with glioblastomas die within 12-15 months of diagnosis, despite treatment. The market need for a therapy that can prolong survival in GBM patients is huge, with a projected value of $1.9 billion in 2023.
