Full Press Release Details
Publication Date: July 12, 2024 Published By: LA Weekly Article Link: https://www.laweekly.com/revolutionizing-brain-cancer-treatment-neonc-introduces-first-non-invasive-intranasal-drug-delivery-for-brain-cancer/
NeOnc President Amir F. Heshmatpour and CEO Dr. Thomas Chen
NeOnc , a biotech company helmed by Dr. Thomas Chen, brings the first non-invasive intranasal drug delivery for brain cancer into the spotlight. With this revolutionary treatment, NeOnc is poised to change the way the world looks at brain cancer treatment.
Approximately 24,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor every year in the United States. The diagnosis often means a battery of invasive tests, followed by treatments that range from radiation and chemotherapy to craniotomies, which involve surgically opening up the skull.
Patients struggle not just with invasive procedures but also with the lack of innovation. Glioblastoma research has not significantly improved patient survival, for example, despite the significant number of cases diagnosed each year.
“One of our problems is just getting the drug or the biologics into the patient,” says Dr. Chen. And it’s a significant problem, with the blood-brain barrier being the biggest hurdle to overcome.
This natural barrier is meant to insulate the brain from pathogens. But when it comes to brain cancer, the very thing meant to protect the organ makes it more difficult to treat what’s harming it.
“We know there are a lot of companies that are developing new treatments for brain cancer, new drugs, etc. But the main thing is how do we get the drug to the target?”
That question fueled Dr. Chen and the whole team at NeOnc to focus not on how to make the drugs better able to permeate the blood-brain barrier but how to bypass it altogether. The answer is a nasal-brain delivery system.
“What you’re doing is inhaling the compound and letting your cranial nerves deliver it to the brain.” This intranasal drug delivery system would allow patients to get the treatment they need at home.
The therapy, the first of its kind, is in Phase II trials and enrolling human test subjects. It already shows promise. Dr. Chen claims it’s helping to prolong the life of some of his patients.
It is important to note that Dr. Chen is currently treating patients with recurrent brain cancer, offering people who have already failed standard of care therapy, but failed. This treatment gives these patients another opportunity to combat their brain cancer.
So, what are the next steps for this potentially revolutionary brain cancer treatment? “Once we’re done with Phase IIa, depending on the data, (the FDA) will tell us whether we do a Phase III or a Phase IIb.”
The drug currently has a “fast track” designation , which will be expedited through the approval process, as often happens with new drugs or biologics intended to treat serious conditions.
“The results will speak for themselves,” says Amir Heshmatpour, the company’s finance expert, about the biotech IPO 2024 option. Those words will also apply to the inventive new brain cancer treatment slowly making its way to the general public.