Research challenge: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is an extremely rare, slow-growing abdominal cancer that originates in tumors of the appendix that rupture and disseminate to the peritoneal cavity. Surgery cures half of the patients, but there are no efficacious treatment options in non-resectable and recurrent cases.
The founder of Department of Tumor Biology, Prof Øystein Fodstad, brought together key technologies to develop immunotoxins comprising full-length murine antibodies against surface antigens that are overexpressed in cancer coupled to Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE). The two most promising drug candidates have been MOC31PE and BM7PE, targeting EpCAM and Muc1, respectively. In a series of research projects, these immunotoxins have been explored preclinically and in clinical trials. Preclinically, these drugs have exhibited remarkable ability to kill tumor cells, with negligible off-target activity. In clinical trials (metastatic colorectal cancer), MOC31PE was shown to be well tolerated when administered intravenously or intraperitoneally, with interesting long-term results and importantly, immune activation.
We are currently conducting a phase 1 trial of BM7PE in patients with end-stage metastatic colorectal cancer https://clinicaltrials.gov/.