Radioprotective Therapeutic

Our therapeutic will make possible the localized treatment of pancreatic cancer by protecting nearby, sensitive body organs, specifically the duodenum, from the detrimental effects of radiotherapy. Radiotherapy can be transformed into a more potent tool for fighting pancreatic cancer and other abdominal cancers.

The Challenge

Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers

Pancreatic cancer often occurs in the head of the pancreas, which shares a blood supply with the duodenum, a very radiosensitive portion of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Pancreatic cancer is extremely deadly, because patients are rarely surgical candidates, and the tumor is not completely controlled by chemotherapy. Tumors of the pancreatic head require large doses of radiation to achieve local control, but this is often difficult, if not impossible, because the adjacent duodenum can only tolerate minor radiation dosage. Thus, treatment-related GI toxicity may be the single greatest barrier to improving treatment responses for unresectable pancreatic cancer. There are no FDA-approved medications that can selectively protect the stomach and intestines from radiation damage.

<20%

Less than 20% of patients are candidates for surgical removal of the cancer

The tumor is not controlled by chemotherapy

>60Gy

Tumoricidal radiation (>60Gy) cannot be given to pancreatic tumors that are in proximity to the intestines

The solution

Highly focused radiotherapy can act like surgery and eradicate the tumor

Until now, tightly focused, high-dose radiation has only been possible when using highly expensive machines and specialized techniques that are not widely available. Xerient’s technology can make radiotherapy available for all pancreatic cancer patients.

Xerient’s patented solution has repurposed and truly reinvented a known FDA-approved drug to protect the GI tract from radiation injury.

Following over a decade of R&D efforts, our preclinical studies have shown that oral administration of the prodrug enables triple the survival time of animals with pancreatic cancer*, and our cutting-edge tablet formulation allows for the target delivery of the drug to the duodenum, with a real-time tracking feature.

Pre-clinical efficacy in animals

Oral Administration

Oral consumption of the drug at a predetermined time prior to exposure to radiation

Radiation

Delivering tumoricidal radiation dose of 62.5 Gy

Enhanced Protection

100% of mice survived beyond 10 days with radioprotection vs. 0% of control animals

Survival Time

Survival of mice with pancreatic cancer has tripled!

How does our breakthrough therapy work?

1

Repurposing of FDA Approved Prodrug

Utilized for other applications and FDA-approved for intravenous (IV) administration

2

Oral Administration

Administering to the patient an orally dosed cytoprotective drug at a predetermined time prior to exposure to radiation

3

Organ Protection

The orally-dosed cytoprotective drug serves as a highly selective intestinal radioprotector

4

Effective Radiation

Delivering the appropriate tumoricidal dose of radiation without inducing duodenal destruction

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