Our Medicines
Our first program targets cancers driven by the overexpression of the MYC oncogene.1 It has been shown that MYC depletion may pose a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Preclinical validation2-4 of MYC inhibition as a therapeutic strategy has been performed in human cell lines and patient-derived tumors.
Cancers Known to Have MYC Overexpression
MYC inhibition may be an effective strategy against gliomas
BRAIN
High-grade Gliomas
80%5
BREAST
TNBC
70%6
LIVER
HCC
45%7
% PATIENTS WITH OVEREXPRESSED MYC
MYC-Driven Cancer Studies
Adastra is progressing our early-stage studies in high-grade gliomas and also hepatocellular cancer, both known to overexpress MYC.
1. Chen H, Liu H, Qing G. Targeting oncogenic Myc as a strategy for cancer treatment. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2018;3:5. doi: 10.1038/s41392-018-0008-7. 2. Tsang J, Sung S, Gosa L, Meetze K, Cloughesy T, Nathanson D. TG02, a brain-penetrant multi-CDK inhibitor, potently suppresses MYC-driven glioblastoma. Abstract EXTH-67. Neuro Oncol. 2017;19(suppl 6):vi87-vi88. 3. Le Rhun E, Von Achenbach C, Szabo E, Weller M. TG02, an oral CDK inhibitor, induces multiple cell death pathways in human glioma cell lines and glioma-initiating cells. Abstract DDIS-07. Neuro Oncol. 2017;19(suppl 6):vi60. 4. Wadhwa E, Meetze K, Nicolaides T. TG02, a novel multikinase inhibitor, is effective in pediatric brain tumors, with selective potency in those with MYC expression. Abstract PDTM-41. Neuro Oncol. 2017;19(suppl 6):vi198-vi199. 5. Annibali D, Whitfield JR, Favuzzi E, et al. Myc inhibition is effective against glioma and reveals a role for Myc in proficient mitosis. Nat Commun. 2014;5:4632. 6. Horiuchi D, Kusdra L, Huskey NE, et al. MYC pathway activation in triple-negative breast cancer is synthetic lethal with CDK inhibition. J Exp Med. 2012;209(4):679-696. 7. Jang KY, Noh SJ, Lehwald N, et al. SIRT1 and c-Myc promote liver tumor cell survival and predict poor survival of human hepatocellular carcinomas. PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e45119.