Highly Competitive NIH Program Validates Potential of GS-10 for Solid Tumor Cancers
GeneSegues Therapeutics, a leader in the targeted delivery of RNAi and DNA therapeutics in cancer and infectious disease, announced today that it has been awarded a $1 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to continue development of GeneSegues’ novel nanoencapsulated RNAi cancer therapeutic that targets primary and metastatic tumors.
This award supports the company’s continued investment in cancer drug development and the targeted delivery of RNAi therapeutics with innovative sub-50 nanometer (s50) nanocapsule technology. In Phase I, the company optimized the composition and use of its lead candidate cancer drug, GS-10, in tumor-bearing mouse models. In Phase II, GeneSegues will execute therapeutic studies in additional tumor models, and conduct the first phases of scaling the manufacturing of GS-10 for ultimate use in human clinical trials.
“This is a very significant award in a very competitive process, and it validates the continued potential of our novel cancer therapy,” said Dr. Gretchen Unger, Chief Scientific Officer of GeneSegues and Principal Investigator for the contract. “We have shown that the combination of our 20-nanometer targeted capsules with highly specific RNAi cargo allows us to reach and attack important targets in the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors.”
GeneSegues is focused on bringing GS-10 through preclinical studies and into human clinical trials. “We are thrilled to have been awarded this competitive research contract, which will assist us in our progress from the research to development stage,” said Laura Brod, CEO of GeneSegues. “Our team is very appreciative of NCI taking this step, as it underscores the importance of introducing differentiated technologies to significantly advance the targeted treatment of cancer.”
About GeneSegues Therapeutics
Minneapolis-based GeneSegues is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the innovation of RNAi and DNA cancer therapeutics, delivered with proprietary sub-50 nanometer (s50) nanocapsule technology. The company is using its novel delivery platform to develop an RNAi product pipeline for the treatment of solid tumor cancers including head and neck, prostate and breast cancers and their related metastases.
NIH Research Support Statement
Research associated with this announcement is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NCI under Award Number HHSN261201300030C. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIH or NCI.
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