Novogen to test SBPs in prostate cancer

Novogen (ASX:NRT) has expanded its preclinical super-benzopyran (SBP) program to cover prostate cancer, after identifying compounds with strong potential against the cancer type.

The company said its SBP program has identified a number of compounds with potent activity against prostate cancer cells during lab testing.

During a study conducted by Australian oncologist Dr Paul de Souza, foundation professor in medical oncology at the University of Western Sydney, SBP compounds were tested in vitro against five different prostate cancer cell lines.

The results of the study are encouraging considering the unmet need for more effective prostate cancer treatments, de Souza said.

“With anticancer activity down around 50 nanomolar levels, this group of chemicals appears to be at least as active as standard cytotoxic drugs such as cisplatin,” he said. “We now can work to bring the lead compound into the clinic.”

Novogen aims to test the lead candidate compound as a monotherapy in men with advanced prostate cancer who have failed standard of care during an Australian trial in 2015. Novogen also aims to file an IND application with the US FDA, with the goal of conducting a US trial in the same year.

Super-benzopyran drugs target and inhibit an oncogene that appears to be common to all forms of cancers. The oncogene produces a mutant form of an enzyme that regulates biochemical processes within cells.

When inhibited, the cell dies, giving SBPs the potential to overcome the common problems of cancer cells developing alternative signalling pathways or forming multidrug-resistance mechanisms.

Novogen’s SBP program also covers ovarian and brain cancers. The company last year formed a joint venture with Yale University aimed at developing treatments for ovarian cancer based on the SBP technology.

Novogen (ASX:NRT) shares were trading 17.24% higher at $0.17 as of around 1 pm on Tuesday.