Replies to post #79543 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

PCYC MNTA: do you see PCYC's approach in targeting a Factor VIIa inhibitor for cancer as similar in any way to what MNTA is doing with the M402 cancer program? Also, just curious if you or any others have any comments about the rationale behind PCYC's approach to treating cancer this way. Does this seem feasible?

This is what it says about PCI-27483 on the page you cited from PCYC’s website:

PCI-27483 is a novel first-in-class small molecule inhibitor, which selectively targets the Factor VIIa/TF complex. Inhibitors of this complex may reduce tumor growth and metastases and may reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism.

The problem with this approach to treating cancer is that the anticoagulation cascade does have a lot of margin for error; hence, it will be hard for PCYC (or anyone else) to find a dose that is high enough to have anti-cancer efficacy without also causing severe bleeding (#msg-37030489).

MNTA’s M402 compound for cancer is an entirely different story: M402 is not an anticoagulant per se, but rather is derived from the anticoagulant, heparin. The structural changes MNTA made to heparin to arrive at M402 caused the compound to lose its efficacy as an anticoagulant.