Destiny Pharma (DEST ) a clinical stage biotechnology company, has announced a new research programme to be conducted in the US. The programme will investigate the potential of XF-73 to alleviate suffering from Oral Mucositis (OM) in patients receiving cancer treatment.
XF-73 has unique antimicrobial properties, already demonstrated by Destiny Pharma in Phase 2 clinical trials. XF-73 can be effective therefore, as there is a long-recognised connection between development of OM and changes in oral microbiome. In addition to its antimicrobial properties and novel mechanism of action, XF-73 has an excellent safety profile and lack of systemic exposure, making it an ideal oral treatment.
Neil Clark, CEO, added: "A successful preventative product will save healthcare costs and improve patient care whilst supporting a stronger patient to complete their full course of treatment and thereby make a significant contribution to improved clinical outcomes. This new project utilises the unique profile of our XF platform in a new cancer related indication and we look forward to testing its potential in gold-standard OM models."
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OM is considered one of the most serious complications of cancer treatment. Two million cancer patients suffer from the condition every year, with the global OM market estimated at $2.2 billion in 2018. Despite this, there are few approved treatments. The project is headed by Prof. Stephen Sonis, DMD, DMSc, a Professor of Oral Medicine at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and CSO at Biomodels, LLC. He is a leading OM expert with extensive research experience in the field.
This is the latest in Destiny Pharma's R&D headlines this year on their two lead assets, NTCD-M3 and XF-73. In May they reported on new data regarding NTCD-M3 treatments, and in April they reported progress in clinical trials alongside FY21 results, showing the company was well-funded to continue research and commercialisation. Investors welcomed today's news with DEST shares up 2.60% in early trading.
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