Galmed Pharmaceuticals Launches VCU Collaboration to Tackle Drug Resistance in GI Cancers
Galmed Pharmaceuticals (GLMD) has announced a research collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to study Aramchol's potential in combating drug resistance in gastrointestinal cancers. The partnership will evaluate Aramchol, a first-in-class SCD1 inhibitor, in combination with standard therapies for advanced colorectal and liver cancers.
The collaboration builds on recent findings published in Nature Communications linking lipid metabolism to cancer drug resistance. The research focuses particularly on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), where approximately 75% of patients are refractory to or intolerant to current first-line monoclonal antibody treatments.
This initiative marks Galmed's strategic expansion from liver diseases into oncology. The company aims to develop a cost-effective alternative to existing treatments, with Aramchol's patent protection extending through 2035. VCU will conduct studies and analyze outcomes, while Galmed provides funding and materials.
Galmed Pharmaceuticals (GLMD) ha annunciato una collaborazione di ricerca con la Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) per studiare il potenziale di Aramchol nel contrastare la resistenza ai farmaci nei tumori gastrointestinali. La partnership valuterà Aramchol, un inibitore di SCD1 di prima classe, in combinazione con le terapie standard per i tumori avanzati del colon-retto e del fegato.
La collaborazione si basa su recenti scoperte pubblicate su Nature Communications che collegano il metabolismo lipidico alla resistenza ai farmaci nei tumori. La ricerca si concentra in particolare sul carcinoma epatocellulare (HCC), dove circa il 75% dei pazienti è refrattario o intollerante ai trattamenti monoclonali di prima linea attualmente disponibili.
Questa iniziativa segna l'espansione strategica di Galmed dalle malattie epatiche all'oncologia. L'azienda punta a sviluppare un'alternativa economica ai trattamenti esistenti, con la protezione brevettuale di Aramchol estesa fino al 2035. La VCU condurrà gli studi e analizzerà i risultati, mentre Galmed fornirà finanziamenti e materiali.
Galmed Pharmaceuticals (GLMD) ha anunciado una colaboración de investigación con la Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) para estudiar el potencial de Aramchol en la lucha contra la resistencia a medicamentos en cánceres gastrointestinales. La alianza evaluará Aramchol, un inhibidor de SCD1 de primera clase, en combinación con terapias estándar para cánceres avanzados de colon, recto y hígado.
La colaboración se basa en hallazgos recientes publicados en Nature Communications que vinculan el metabolismo lipídico con la resistencia a los medicamentos en el cáncer. La investigación se centra especialmente en el carcinoma hepatocelular (HCC), donde aproximadamente el 75% de los pacientes son refractarios o intolerantes a los tratamientos con anticuerpos monoclonales de primera línea actuales.
Esta iniciativa marca la expansión estratégica de Galmed desde enfermedades hepáticas hacia la oncología. La compañía busca desarrollar una alternativa rentable a los tratamientos existentes, con la protección de patente de Aramchol extendida hasta 2035. VCU llevará a cabo los estudios y analizará los resultados, mientras que Galmed proporcionará financiamiento y materiales.
Galmed Pharmaceuticals (GLMD)는 버지니아 커먼웰스 대학교(VCU)와 협력하여 위장관 암에서 약물 내성 극복을 위한 Aramchol의 잠재력을 연구한다고 발표했습니다. 이 파트너십은 1세대 SCD1 억제제인 Aramchol을 진행성 대장암 및 간암의 표준 치료법과 병용하여 평가할 예정입니다.
이번 협력은 지질 대사와 암 약물 내성 간의 연관성을 밝힌 Nature Communications의 최근 연구 결과를 바탕으로 합니다. 연구는 특히 약 75%의 환자가 현재 1차 단클론 항체 치료에 내성이거나 불내성인 간세포암(HCC)에 집중됩니다.
이 이니셔티브는 Galmed가 간 질환 분야에서 종양학으로 전략적으로 확장하는 것을 의미합니다. 회사는 2035년까지 특허 보호를 받는 Aramchol을 통해 기존 치료법에 대한 비용 효율적인 대안을 개발하는 것을 목표로 합니다. VCU는 연구를 수행하고 결과를 분석하며, Galmed는 자금과 재료를 제공합니다.
Galmed Pharmaceuticals (GLMD) a annoncé une collaboration de recherche avec la Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) pour étudier le potentiel d'Aramchol dans la lutte contre la résistance aux médicaments dans les cancers gastro-intestinaux. Ce partenariat évaluera Aramchol, un inhibiteur de SCD1 de première classe, en association avec les thérapies standards pour les cancers avancés du côlon, du rectum et du foie.
Cette collaboration s'appuie sur des découvertes récentes publiées dans Nature Communications liant le métabolisme lipidique à la résistance aux traitements anticancéreux. La recherche se concentre particulièrement sur le carcinome hépatocellulaire (CHC), où environ 75 % des patients sont réfractaires ou intolérants aux traitements par anticorps monoclonaux de première ligne actuels.
Cette initiative marque l'expansion stratégique de Galmed, passant des maladies du foie à l'oncologie. L'entreprise vise à développer une alternative économique aux traitements existants, avec une protection par brevet d'Aramchol jusqu'en 2035. La VCU mènera les études et analysera les résultats, tandis que Galmed fournira les financements et les matériaux.
Galmed Pharmaceuticals (GLMD) hat eine Forschungskooperation mit der Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) angekündigt, um das Potenzial von Aramchol zur Bekämpfung der Medikamentenresistenz bei gastrointestinalen Krebserkrankungen zu untersuchen. Die Partnerschaft wird Aramchol, einen erstklassigen SCD1-Inhibitor, in Kombination mit Standardtherapien bei fortgeschrittenem Darm- und Leberkrebs evaluieren.
Die Zusammenarbeit baut auf jüngsten Erkenntnissen auf, die in Nature Communications veröffentlicht wurden und den Zusammenhang zwischen Lipidstoffwechsel und Krebsmedikamentenresistenz aufzeigen. Der Fokus der Forschung liegt insbesondere auf hepatozellulärem Karzinom (HCC), bei dem etwa 75 % der Patienten refraktär oder intolerant gegenüber aktuellen Erstlinien-Monoklonalantikörpertherapien sind.
Diese Initiative markiert die strategische Erweiterung von Galmed von Lebererkrankungen in die Onkologie. Das Unternehmen strebt die Entwicklung einer kostengünstigen Alternative zu bestehenden Behandlungen an, wobei der Patentschutz für Aramchol bis 2035 läuft. Die VCU wird Studien durchführen und Ergebnisse analysieren, während Galmed die Finanzierung und Materialien bereitstellt.
- Patent protection for Aramchol extends through 2035
- Potential expansion into large oncology market
- Targeting 75% of HCC patients who don't respond to current treatments
- Could provide more cost-effective alternative to expensive monoclonal antibodies
- Still in preclinical stage for cancer treatment
- Requires successful proof-of-concept data before clinical development
- Faces competition from established cancer treatments
Insights
Galmed's expansion into oncology through VCU collaboration represents strategic diversification but remains highly speculative at preclinical stage.
Galmed Pharmaceuticals' research agreement with Virginia Commonwealth University marks a strategic expansion of Aramchol beyond liver fibrosis into oncology, specifically targeting drug resistance in GI cancers. This represents a calculated pipeline diversification strategy rather than an immediate value driver.
The scientific rationale leverages Aramchol's SCD1 inhibition mechanism to potentially overcome treatment resistance in liver and colorectal cancers. Research published in Nature Communications provides foundational evidence connecting lipid metabolism to cancer drug resistance, offering some validation to this approach.
From a commercial perspective, Galmed is positioning Aramchol as a potential companion to tyrosine kinase inhibitors that could offer a more cost-effective alternative to expensive monoclonal antibodies in hepatocellular carcinoma. With patent protection through 2035, successful development could secure long-term market exclusivity.
However, investors should recognize this represents extremely early-stage research with no guaranteed path to clinical development. University-sponsored research agreements typically yield preliminary data that still requires substantial validation before entering clinical trials. The timeline to potential commercialization would likely span many years, with numerous developmental hurdles ahead.
This collaboration signals Galmed's intent to maximize Aramchol's potential applications while spreading clinical development risk across multiple indications. For a company of Galmed's size, this approach balances opportunity exploration against resource constraints.
Aramchol's lipid metabolism mechanism shows scientific promise for overcoming GI cancer drug resistance, but remains years from clinical validation.
The collaboration between Galmed and VCU addresses a significant unmet need in GI oncology. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) represent a critical treatment modality for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but their effectiveness is severely by rapid development of resistance, typically within 6 months of treatment initiation.
The scientific premise behind testing Aramchol in this context is compelling. SCD1 (Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1) has been implicated in cancer progression through its role in fatty acid metabolism. Recent research has demonstrated that dysregulated lipid metabolism mediates resistance to targeted therapies in multiple cancer types. By inhibiting SCD1, Aramchol could potentially disrupt these resistance mechanisms and re-sensitize tumors to standard treatments.
However, several scientific challenges remain unanswered. The specific mechanisms by which SCD1 inhibition might reverse drug resistance in different GI cancer subtypes need clarification. Additionally, potential resistance mechanisms to SCD1 inhibition itself must be considered.
From a therapeutic standpoint, combining Aramchol with TKIs represents a mechanistically rational approach that could improve outcomes while potentially offering better cost-effectiveness than current immunotherapy combinations. However, the research must first demonstrate whether Aramchol can achieve sufficient target engagement in tumor tissues at clinically achievable doses.
This collaboration represents a scientifically sound exploration of Aramchol's potential in oncology, but with the significant caveat that preclinical findings frequently fail to translate to clinical benefit.
- Galmed Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: GLMD) enters into a Sponsored Project Agreement with
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to evaluate Aramchol's effect on overcoming drug resistance in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. - Aramchol, a first-in-class SCD1 inhibitor, will be studied in combination with standard therapies for advanced colorectal and liver cancers, aiming to reverse treatment resistance and improve outcomes in these high-mortality cancers.
- Collaboration builds on breakthrough findings published in Nature Communications (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41852-z) linking lipid metabolism to cancer drug resistance, supporting Aramchol's novel mechanism as a promising, synergistic approach.
- This initiative is part of a strategic expansion of Galmed's pipeline beyond liver disease into oncology, targeting a large market potential with significant unmet need and reinforcing Galmed's focus on cost-effective, innovative therapies.
Collaboration to Reverse Drug Resistance in GI Cancers
This collaboration addresses a critical unmet need: GI cancers (including colon and liver cancers) are among the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide, and treatment options are often limited by therapy resistance. By targeting Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 (SCD1) – a key enzyme in fatty acid metabolism implicated in cancer progression – Aramchol offers a novel therapeutic strategy. Recent breakthrough research published in Nature Communications (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41852-z) has highlighted the role of lipid metabolic pathways (notably SCD1) in driving drug resistance in GI tumors. Leveraging these insights, the Galmed–VCU project will explore Aramchol's ability to reprogram tumor metabolism and sensitize cancer cells to existing treatments, potentially delivering a breakthrough in resistance reversal for patients with few alternatives.
" A large proportion of patients with advanced HCC gain no long-term benefit from the approved 2nd line systemic therapy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) due to drug resistance, which keeps HCC a highly fatal disease. Most HCC patients receiving TKIs develop resistance within 6 months of treatment. Previous studies showed that SCD1 is highly expressed in some liver cancers, and its inhibition sensitizes cancer cells to TKIs" said Paul Dent, Ph.D. Professor, School of Medicine Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Virginia Commonwealth University. "The aim of the collaboration is to overcome mechanisms of drug resistance in cells exposed to Aramchol and FDA approved drugs. Based on these findings we would contemplate developing safe drug combinations that will block and circumvent drug resistance in HCC."
Strategic Expansion and Market Implications
For Galmed, the partnership with VCU is part of a strategic expansion beyond its historical focus on fibrotic liver diseases into the oncology arena. Aramchol (an oral therapy with a strong safety profile demonstrated in NASH/fibrosis trials) is the most clinically advanced SCD1 inhibitor, and its dual action on metabolic and fibrotic pathways presents a unique opportunity in cancer treatment. Allen Baharaff, President and CEO of Galmed, noted that this program aligns with the Company's growth strategy and commitment to addressing diseases with high unmet need:
"HCC is the only major cancer for which death rates have not improved over the last 10 years. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as Sorafenib, Regorafenib and Lenvatinib are pivotal molecular targeted agents in advanced HCC.
"The clinical benefit of TKIs based systemic therapy for advanced HCC is limited due to drug resistance mediated by dysregulated lipid metabolism. Consequently, monoclonal antibodies (MABs) such as Atezolizumab & bevacizumab emerged as the first-line therapy for patients with HCC. However as
Through this sponsored research, Galmed and VCU seek to generate proof-of-concept data on Aramchol's efficacy in an oncology setting. Positive findings could lay the groundwork for subsequent clinical development in cancer, expanding Galmed's pipeline and creating value for investors and stakeholders. The Company's extended patent runway for Aramchol (protected through 2035) further enhances the commercial prospects of any new oncological application by providing a long horizon for development and potential market exclusivity.
Galmed will provide funding and Aramchol materials, while VCU's researchers – including experts from the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center – will conduct the studies and analyze outcomes. The collaboration leverages VCU's deep expertise in cancer biology and drug resistance models along with Galmed's decade-long experience with Aramchol in metabolic diseases. Both parties believe this partnership can accelerate the path toward a first-in-class therapy that tackles cancer resistance mechanisms head-on.
About Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of Aramchol. We have focused almost exclusively on developing Aramchol for the treatment of liver disease and we are currently seeking to advance the development of Aramchol for oncological indications outside of NASH and fibrosis. In addition, as part of our growth strategy, we are actively pursuing opportunities to expand and diversify our product pipeline specifically targeting cardiometabolic indications and other innovative product candidates that align with our core expertise in drug development.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects, including the potential of the VCU collaboration, as well as statements, other than historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that we intend, expect, project, believes or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the development and approval of the use of Aramchol or any other product candidate for indications outside of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, and fibrosis or in combination therapy; the timing and cost of any pre-clinical or clinical trials of Aramchol or any other product candidate we develop; completion and receiving favorable results of any pre-clinical or clinical trial; regulatory action with respect to Aramchol or any other product candidate by the
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