A research team from the University of Wollongong (UOW) has been awarded $500,000 from the Australian Economic Accelerate Ignite Grants to advance development of ResectAssist™, a groundbreaking implantable device designed to treat inoperable pancreatic cancer. The funding represents the maximum amount available under the program, which supports nationally significant research and commercialization projects.
Novel Drug Delivery Platform Targets Deadly Cancer
ResectAssist™ is a single-use, implantable, drug-eluting device specifically designed for inoperable locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The biodegradable device is inserted directly into pancreatic tumors, locally delivering high-dose chemotherapy to enable treatment that is more tolerable, less severe, and more effective for patients.
Associate Professor Kara Vine-Perrow, lead investigator and Leader of the Targeted Cancer Therapies Research Group in UOW's Molecular Horizons, emphasized the device's potential impact. "Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat, particularly if it is at an advanced stage. That is why the outcomes and survival rates are so poor. This cancer drug-eluting device will minimise systemic side effects and maximise treatment efficacy, potentially transforming treatment and care for cancer patients," she said.
Addressing Critical Unmet Medical Need
Pancreatic cancer represents one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide, with one of the lowest survival rates under 10% and limited treatment options. Patients often present with disease that cannot be operated on, creating a significant unmet medical need for effective treatments.
The ResectAssist™ Platform enables precise, high-dose delivery of therapies directly into tumors using standard endoscopy techniques. By minimizing systemic side effects and maximizing treatment efficacy, the platform has the potential to transform care for conditions like locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) that are unresectable.
FOLFIRINOX Delivery System
The platform's lead drug candidate, ResectAssist™-FOLFIRINOX, focuses on locally advanced pancreatic cancer, delivering high-dose FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) directly into tumors. The treatment aims to convert inoperable cancers into resectable ones, increasing the potential for curative outcomes.
Professor Morteza Aghmesheh, an honorary clinical professor at UOW and oncologist on the research team, highlighted the platform's clinical significance. "There is a significant unmet medical need for the treatment of pancreatic cancer patients, and in particular those with unresectable disease. The ResectAssist™ technology is designed to optimally deliver the FOLFIRINOX regimen, the most efficacious but also the most toxic therapy, facilitating maximum anti-cancer efficacy without typical systemic side effects."
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
The multidisciplinary research team includes UOW's Associate Professor Vine-Perrow, Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace, Professor Peter Innis, Dr Samantha Wade, Professor Stephanie Reuter Lange from the University of South Australia, oncologist Professor Morteza Aghmesheh, FivepHusion's CEO and Managing Director Dr Christian Toouli, and Dr Natalie Strange.
UOW has secured a partnership with advanced clinical-stage biotechnology company FivepHusion to bring the innovative ResectAssist™ Drug Delivery Platform closer to clinical application. The agreement allows FivepHusion to develop the platform for treating solid tumors with high unmet medical needs.
Broader Applications and Future Potential
While its initial focus is on pancreatic cancer, the ResectAssist™ Platform holds potential for treating a wide range of solid tumors. The technology can deliver various drug types, from small molecules to advanced biologics and mRNA-based therapies, providing opportunities to expand into other cancer markets.
Associate Professor Vine-Perrow noted the broader implications: "The possibilities are great, for patients with pancreatic cancer but also for treating a wide range of solid tumours. This grant is so welcome as it will allow us to continue moving forward on ResectAssist™ and support the development and manufacturing of the device for clinical applications."
