Oct 5, 2017
PRNewswire
Searching for Innovative Cancer Therapies in Biotech
1 hour 3 minutes ago - DJNF
MicroCapSpeculators.com News Commentary
LAS VEGAS, October 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Only second to heart disease, cancer is rated the second most common cause of death in the United States. We've all heard of cancer, or had it affect our lives in some way or another, but what do we really know about cancer itself and where are we in the process of finding a cure?
Cancer is a group of diseases distinguished by the growth and spread of abnormal, or malignant cells. What makes cancer so dangerous is when the malignant cells spread uncontrollably. The American Cancer Society reported that almost 1.7 million cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2017 creating a substantial need for effective cancer medication. Investors need to be tracking the leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, especially companies creating therapies to stop the recurrence of tumors and the spreading of malignant cells. With the larger companies like Pfizer, Inc. and Amgen, Inc. in trouble because of the competition among generic key drugs, drug pricing challenges, and increasing competition, focus is changing to smaller innovative biotechs like Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (OTC: PPCB), Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: KURA), Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBRX), and ImmunoGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMGN), Endocyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECYT).
Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (OTCQB: PPCB)
Market Cap: $2.01M, current share price: $0.3101
If you've been keeping an eye on cancer research in biotech, you've heard of PPCB. A clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on development of new and proprietary treatments for cancer patients suffering from solid tumors such as pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancer had huge announcements this last week regarding their lead product, PRP. PRP is a solution for once daily intravenous administration of a combination of two pancreatic proenzymes trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen which aims to prevent uncontrollable growth and spreading of tumors, the leading cause of death for cancer patients. Results from PPCB's recent scientific experiments provide solid indicators of PRP's therapeutic potential as a new successful clinical approach that could improve outcomes for patients suffering from cancer. This conclusion comes from observing the significant reduction of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) markers as a consequence of PRP treatment, which not only reverses the EMT process, thereby stopping tumor progression and metastasis, but also represses the development of Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs).
Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: KURA)
Market Cap: $413.936M, current share price: $14.95
KURA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. Earlier this month, KURA released favorable results from a Phase 2 trial for its lead product candidate, tipifarnib. They tested their lead product in patients with HRAS mutant relapsed or refractory squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC). The Phase 2 trial achieved its primary endpoint prior to the completion of enrollment. Keep an eye out on KURA as they move through trials.
Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBRX)
Market Cap: $48.426M, current share price: $2.39
MBRX is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates. Just this week, MBRX announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has instructed Moleculin it may begin clinical trials of Annamycin in the treatment of relapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). MBRX currently has two preclinical small molecule portfolios in development, one is focused on the modulation of hard-to-target tumor cell signaling mechanisms and the recruitment of the patient's own immune system the other targets the metabolism of tumors.
ImmunoGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMGN)
Market Cap: $858.49M, current share price: $7.65
IMGN is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops targeted cancer therapeutics using its proprietary ADC technology. IMGN's lead product candidate, mirvetuximab soravtansine, is in a Phase 3 trial for FR-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. It's IMGN's mission to deliver innovative cancer therapies that meaningfully improve the lives of patients.
Endocyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECYT)
Market Cap: $265.67M, current share price: $6.21
Endocyte is a biopharmaceutical company and leader in developing targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer. Endocyte uses drug conjugation technology to create novel therapeutics and companion imaging agents for personalized targeted therapies. The company's agents actively target receptors that are over-expressed on diseased cells relative to healthy cells, such as prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) in prostate cancer. This targeted approach is designed to safely enable the delivery of highly potent drug payloads. The companion imaging agents are designed to identify patients whose disease over-expresses the target of the therapy and who are therefore more likely to benefit from treatment.
