London startup to trial drug to prevent cancer therapy side-effect ‘cytokine storm’
Summary
A London startup, Poolbeg Pharma, is starting a trial of a new oral drug called POLB 001 to prevent a dangerous side effect, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. The trial will take place at six NHS hospitals, aiming to make cancer treatment safer and less expensive by allowing care in community hospitals instead of specialized centers.Key Facts
- POLB 001 is a pill designed to stop CRS, a side effect where the immune system attacks the body during cancer immunotherapy.
- CRS affects about 70% of patients receiving certain blood cancer treatments and can be life-threatening.
- Currently, patients must stay in specialized cancer hospitals for weeks during treatment because CRS is hard to predict.
- The drug trial will test POLB 001 on 30 patients using Johnson & Johnson’s cancer drug teclistamab at six UK hospitals.
- POLB 001 was originally developed in Spain to treat chronic inflammation and works by blocking a specific cell signal.
- Poolbeg Pharma expects to have preliminary trial results by the end of the summer.
- It is estimated that by 2031, about half a million patients with specific blood cancers will need immunotherapy in the US and major European countries.
- Poolbeg also plans to trial a weight loss pill later this year and raised £25 million when it went public in 2021.
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