Genprex's Reqorsa Shows Promise in Lung Cancer Gene Therapy; Uniphar Expands Commercialization Support
Key Insights
Genprex presented positive preclinical data for Reqorsa, a gene therapy targeting Ras inhibitor-resistant lung cancer (search), mesothelioma (search), and glioblastoma (search), showing increased TUSC2 (search) uptake in tumor cells.
Uniphar (search) has launched its seventh cell and gene therapy program, integrating cross-functional teams to support the commercialization of complex therapies globally.
BioCardia, Inc. has completed its Phase III trial of CardiAMP, a cell therapy for ischemic heart failure (search), with results expected in early 2025, showing potential benefits in earlier trials.
Genprex, a clinical-stage gene therapy company, announced positive preclinical data for its lung cancer (search) gene therapy, Reqorsa, at the 2024 EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. The therapy is designed to treat Ras inhibitor-resistant lung cancer, mesothelioma (search), and glioblastoma (search) by delivering the TUSC2 (search) tumor suppressor gene to cancer cells.
Reqorsa's Targeted Delivery
Reqorsa aims to selectively target cancer cells by delivering the functioning tumor suppressor gene, TUSC2 (search), with a negative charge, limiting uptake by non-cancerous tissue. In vitro studies demonstrated that tumor cells exhibited 10 to 33 times greater uptake of TUSC2 compared to normal cells after treatment.
Ryan Confer, President and CEO of Genprex, stated, "We are pleased by this promising preclinical data...of REQORSA’s potential in serious and difficult to treat cancers including KRAS G12C mutant lung cancer (search), mesothelioma (search) and glioblastoma (search)."
Uniphar's Commercialization Program
Uniphar (search), a healthcare services business, has introduced its seventh cell and gene therapy program to support the commercialization of complex therapies. This program integrates cross-functional teams and infrastructure to assist pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in navigating the complexities of bringing these therapies to patients worldwide.
Brian O’Shaughnessy, Uniphar (search)’s CCO, commented, "The work that Uniphar is doing with cell and gene therapies is a perfect example of how important the right infrastructure is when it comes to bringing highly complex, lifesaving therapies to patients in a real-world setting."
BioCardia Completes Phase III Trial for CardiAMP
BioCardia, Inc. has concluded its Phase III randomized, double-blind study of CardiAMP, a minimally invasive cell therapy for ischemic heart failure (search) with reduced ejection fraction. The therapy uses a patient’s own marrow cells to address microvascular dysfunction, aiming to increase capillary density and reduce tissue fibrosis through the release of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines.
The CardiAMP HF trial enrolled 115 heart failure patients across 18 hospitals in the United States, with results anticipated by early 2025. Peter Altman, CEO of BioCardia, Inc., noted that previous trial results "support our belief that the CardiAMP autologous, minimally invasive, cell therapy has great promise to provide a meaningful benefit for patients suffering from heart failure."