Race Oncology Ltd (ASX:RAC) has welcomed preclinical findings on the anti-cancer efficacy of bisantrene, which demonstrate its potential in enhancing the cancer-killing activity of the widely used drug doxorubicin across a diverse range of 143 human cancer cell lines.
Potent, broad anti-cancer activity
In a recently conducted preclinical study performed under contract at Oncolines in the Netherlands, bisantrene showcased potent anti-cancer activity against 113 of the 143 human cancer cell lines tested.
The cell lines represent 15 distinct types of cancer, including both blood and solid organ tumours.
Notably, the drug also significantly enhanced the efficacy of doxorubicin, one of the most used anthracycline chemotherapeutics in cancer treatment.
Key study highlights:
- Bisantrene killed more than 79% of the cancer cell lines at a concentration below 500 nanometres (nM). Previous studies indicate that patient-tolerable doses achieve drug concentrations exceeding 3,000 nM in the blood, emphasising the clinical relevance of bisantrene's potency.
- When combined with doxorubicin, Bisantrene increased cell-killing activity in 86% of the tumour cells relative to doxorubicin alone.
The study further augments Race Oncology's existing data, which already showed that bisantrene enhances the efficacy of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in breast cancer cells and offers protection against anthracycline-induced cardiac damage in mice.
The study suggests that bisantrene holds broader clinical utility beyond treating breast cancer and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Further clinical and preclinical studies could substantively expand its commercial and clinical value across various cancer types. The Race team and advisors are actively considering the best avenues to capitalise on this promising development.
RAC shares have been as much as 14.46% higher in early ASX trading to A$0.99.
Next steps
The company is now primed for:
- optimisation of dosage and drug combinations via further preclinical research;
- exploration of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the enhanced cancer-killing efficacy; and
- consultation with key opinion leaders to strategise clinical studies involving bisantrene and doxorubicin.