Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. (NMI), announces that it has received a significant RO1 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to work with Fox Chase Cancer Center and Northeastern university to develop a combination imaging-theranostic nanoemulsion agent for the treatment of multidrug resistant ovarian tumors, designated NMI-500. The NMI-500 program is designed to provide timely diagnostic information on where and how treatment is accumulating and provide clinicians the quantitative insight to adjust targeted treatment schedules accordingly.
During treatment recurrent cancers build up multidrug resistance to conventional and novel chemotherapeutic agents, representing a formidable challenge in clinical cancer therapy, especially for the effective treatment of gynecological malignancies. Our overarching strategy addresses the major failures of the first line therapy and diagnostics by using multifunctional nanoemulsions to target, image, and eradicate chemosensitive and chemoresistant tumor cells.
This RO1 program will assess and validate the imaging, targeting, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of the NMI-500 combination imaging/chemotherapeutic product and move the technology one step closer to clinical utility.
NMI has created a team of partners that will support the program, including Fox Chase Cancer Center, Northeastern University, and Apredica, that will collaborate to develop this clinically translatable strategy, initially addressing recurrent multidrug resistant phenotype.
NMI President and CEO Dr. Tim Coleman states that this work will make an impact on patient care, "Nanomedicine development is complex and at a very nascent stage of commercialization. NMI focuses on developing novel concepts by engineering complex molecular entities with desires clinical characteristics to develop life saving products.”
Mansoor Amiji, Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, at Northeastern University’s School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, and NMI co-founder , developed the initial technology that has been licensed by NMI . Prof Amiji said, "The improved bioavailability of these nanonemulsions will significantly extend the therapeutic impact to chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells. Advancing translation research of these safe and effective multifunctional nanoemulsions is urgently needed to create products with enhanced clinical utility.”
Dr. Denise Connolly, Assistant Professor, Fox Chase Cancer Center, noted “Our studies focus on the mechanisms of disease progression and dissemination. Our goals are to understand ovarian cancer etiology and metastasis and to identify therapeutic targets for disease treatment. This collaboration will enable further understanding of how to halt progression and hopefully lead to fundamental new way to treat woman with ovarian cancer.”
