Kintara Therapeutics has started a clinical trial to study REM-001, targeting patients with cutaneous metastatic breast cancer (CMBC).
This trial, which is open to 15 participants, will test the effectiveness of a 0.8mg dose of REM-001. REM-001 is a type of therapy that uses light-sensitive drugs to kill cancer cells, known as a photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizer agent.
The trial’s main goal is to measure the therapy’s success rate in terms of complete and partial shrinkage of cancerous areas by the 24th week after treatment. This study is part of the preparation for a larger, Phase III trial.
The trial was made possible through a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, received last June to support the clinical development of REM-001 in patients with CMBC.
The NIH funding is expected to cover most of the trial’s expenses.
Kintara is a company focused on creating new cancer treatments for patients with few options. Their work with photodynamic therapy aims at treating localized skin or internal tumors. REM-001, their leading project, combines a laser light, a device to deliver the light, and the REM-001 drug.
It has been previously tested in four Phase II/III trials with CMBC patients who had undergone chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, showing an 80% success rate in completely clearing the targeted cancer lesions in these tests.
Nearly 1,100 patients across various conditions have been treated with REM-001, establishing its safety.
Kintara’s CEO, Robert Hoffman, expressed optimism about REM-001’s potential based on its strong performance in past trials and the significant support from the NIH and FDA. He highlighted the therapy’s 80% success rate in treating CMBC lesions and its potential to meet a critical healthcare need.
