Scandion Oncology signs collaboration agreement with University of Copenhagen regarding co-development of a class of drug candidates that reverts anti-cancer drug resistance

Scandion Oncology A/S (”Scandion” or ”the Company”) announces today that the Company has signed a collaboration agreement with Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen regarding development of a class of drugs that can revert anti-cancer drug resistance. The lead compound from this drug class, named SCO-301, complements Scandion’s drug portfolio, since it targets resistance against a large class of anti-cancer drugs that is not targeted by SCO-101 or SCO-201. Scandion has thus already fulfilled one of the milestones for 2020.

By using the DEN50-R drug screening assay (1), which is a research platform consisting of drug resistant cancer cells, Scandion has identified a so-called re-purposing drug (a drug that is already registered for a non-cancer indication but may also work against cancer) that reverts important types of anti-cancer drug resistance. This drug, named SCO-301, has previously been through preclinical and clinical safety and toxicity testing as a mono-therapy for a non-cancer indication. Therefore, it is now ready for a Phase II clinical trial in cancer patients. Scandion will need no additional drug production to initiate the first clinical cancer trial in drug resistant cancer patients, since SCO-301 is available OTC (over the counter) for the treatment of a non-cancer disease.

The plan is to test the lead compound SCO-301 in combination with chemotherapy in drug-resistant cancer patients (Phase II clinical testing). The primary goal will be to obtain Proof-of-Concept for safety and efficacy. Scandion will in collaboration with external partners develop the needed predictive biomarkers for SCO-301 efficacy. Furthermore, Scandion and University of Copenhagen are developing SCO-301 analogs that will be taken through preclinical testing. Expenses related to analog production and preclinical efficacy testing of these will be covered by national and international funding agencies. The collaborators from University of Copenhagen are experts in design and synthesis of novel drugs and their analogues.

CSO Jan Stenvang comments:

“I am very pleased that we have identified our third drug candidate SCO-301 including some its analogs well before we had previously calculated. SCO-301 complements our existing drug candidates since it targets resistance against a large class of anti-cancer drugs that is not targeted by SCO-101 or SCO-201. With the addition of SCO-301, we have significantly broadened Scandion's pipeline and market potential.

I am also pleased with the collaboration at University of Copenhagen, which gives Scandion access to world-class drug developers. I therefore feel confident that this collaboration will result in new SCO-301 analogs with improved anti-cancer effects further strengthen the commercial potential of our pipeline.”

1Jensen et al., Molecular Oncology, 2015. 

For further information regarding Scandion Oncology, please contact:

Nils Brünner, CEO

Phone: +45 26 14 47 08

E-mail: nb@scandiononcology.com 

www.scandiononcology.com

This information is information that Scandion Oncology is obliged to publish in accordance to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was provided by the contact person above for publication on April 16, 2019. 

Scandion Oncology A/S is a biotechnology company founded in 2017 for the purpose of addressing and tackling one of the greatest challenges in modern oncology – the effective treatment of cancer which contains drug resistant cell clones or which has developed resistance to a previously prescribed cancer-fighting drug. In preclinical in vitro-studies SCO-101 restores chemotherapy sensitivity in resistant cancer cells. Moreover, in animal studies,  SCO-101 significantly enhances the efficacy of certain standard cancer treatments when given in combination. Scandion Oncology was listed on Spotlight, Sweden in November 2018.