Ensysce Biosciences Inc. announced today the publication of their latest data on their delivery platform for short interfering RNA (siRNA) for therapeutic purposes in the journal Materials. The article, entitled Carbon Nanotubes: Solution for the Therapeutic Delivery of siRNA? highlights the use of carbon nanotubes for therapeutic applications and reports on the recent advances of Ensysce as it moves its technology toward IND enabling studies and a Phase 1 clinical trial.
Ensysce has received funding from the State of Texas Emerging Technology Fund of up to $1.5 million for the development of single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) therapeutics, including for the delivery of siRNA. The funds have advanced this promising technology allowing Ensysce to generate data showing that SWCNT protect the siRNA payload while circulating in the blood, successfully delivering the siRNA into tumors and producing knockdown of the target proteins with antitumor activity. It is the aim of Ensysce to continue optimizing its SWCNT formulation and move the siRNA/SWCNT product into clinical development.
Carbon nanotubes provide a means to deliver large active agents through natural barriers within the body and specifically into cancer cells. "The demonstration of the SWCNT delivery of siRNA into tumors has allowed us to consider moving to commercialization of this delivery platform," said Dr. Lynn Kirkpatrick CEO of Ensysce. "We are now optimizing the pharmaceutical preparations to demonstrate the universal nature of these SWCNT carriers for siRNA and believe we will enter clinical trials in the next 12 to 18 months."
Ensysce's location in the Biotechnology Commercialization Center in the Texas Medical Center, has enabled its research collaborations at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University. "siRNA has issues with adequate cellular delivery, yet is one of the most intriguing and promising approaches to cancer therapy today," said Dr. Garth Powis, Chair of Experimental Therapeutics at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and member of the Ensysce Scientific Advisory Board. "Ensysce's success in using carbon nanotubes to deliver these macromolecules providing biological activity in tumors is a major accomplishment."
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