Roquefort Therapeutics, (ROQ), a biotech company focused on next generation medicines for hard to treat cancers, recently concluded successful in vitro studies for its anti-cancer mRNA therapeutic, focusing on breast and liver cancer. The studies demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in proliferation (cancer growth) and migration.
While these are early in vitro results, if replicated in clinical trials the findings are consistent with the potential for a first-in-class cancer medicine.
Today's announcement follows the development of a new platform of anti-cancer mRNA therapeutics targeting the company's novel Midkine target announced on 8 March 2023.
The market for mRNA cancer therapeutics is a highly lucrative and rapidly expanding sector, estimated to be valued at approximately $31 billion with a compound annual growth rate of 7.8%, led by industry giants such as Pfizer, Moderna, and BioNTech. Roquefort Therapeutics is well positioned in this field, with four mRNA sequences that uniquely target Midkine.
Midkine is a protein that plays various roles in cellular processes such as growth, differentiation, and inflammation. Elevated Midkine levels in cancer patients have been linked to tumor growth, angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels), and metastasis (the spread of cancer to other parts of the body).
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Roquefort has reached a significant milestone with these promising results for this innovative , high-potential cancer treatment.
The company has a focus on solid cancer treatments, such as breast and liver cancer, where low survival rates are associated with the expression of Midkine. Breast cancer, the leading life-threatening cancer in women with 2.3 million new cases annually and the second highest cause of cancer-related deaths (685,000 per year), has a metastatic survival rate of around 30%, contributing to over 90% of breast cancer fatalities. Elevated Midkine is linked to disease progression, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance, in a treatment market worth approximately $25 billion with an estimated 8% CAGR.
Hepatocellular carcinoma, comprising 90% of liver cancers, is the fourth-leading cause of global cancer mortality, with a market size of approximately $8 billion and a 6.7% CAGR. Elevated Midkine is linked to liver cancer progression, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance, contributing to a low 5-year survival rate of 21% due to limited effectiveness of conventional therapy.
Tying this together, Roquefort’s deep expertise in Midkine expression has positioned them well in the mRNA cancer market, and, if the company successfully progresses its anti-cancer mRNA therapeutic through clinical trials, this will have the potential to be a groundbreaking medical treatment.
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