PsiOxus Therapeutics, Ltd. (PsiOxus), a development stage biotechnology company, has completed patient enrollment for its Phase II clinical trial to study MT-102, a small molecule therapeutic for the treatment of cancer cachexia. The agent's unique dual mode of action, which has both anti-catabolic and pro-anabolic activity, directly impacts two of the principle pathophysiological hallmarks of cachexia and has been shown to have beneficial effects upon both cachexia and age-related sarcopenia in vivo.
Cancer cachexia is a wasting syndrome characterized by loss of muscle and fat, and occurs in the majority of patients with advanced, refractory malignancies. The disease accompanies a wide range of serious illnesses including cancer, heart failure, COPD, renal failure, cirrhosis and rheumatoid arthritis and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and function that results from the process of aging.
"Cachexia is a very serious, but often underestimated and poorly managed medical consequence of cancer," said Dr. John Beadle, CEO of PsiOxus Therapeutics. "Historically, treatment has focused on the underlying illnesses that predispose patients to cachexia, and it is only very recently that cachexia has been regarded as a treatable syndrome in its own right. There is thus a significant unmet medical need with tremendous market potential for an approved, effective treatment for these patients. Our lead compound MT-102 is a very promising mode of treatment that has shown to have a positive impact on weight change, body composition and physical performance in pre-clinical models. Completion of recruitment in this clinical study is the next critical step in assessing the compound's effectiveness to help fight these wide-spread diseases."