EMRIS Pharma
EMRIS Pharma is a preclinical stage company, developing a first-in-class topical solution to prevent skin toxicities associated with targeted cancer therapies such as EGFR inhibitors (EGFRi). This innovative solution aims to improve patients’ quality of life and compliance with cancer treatment.
The problem
Targeted cancer therapies cause significant side effects. Most Patients (80%-90%) treated with EGFR inhibitor (EGFRi) monoclonal antibodies for advanced colon, head and neck, and lung cancers, suffer from skin toxicities that severely impair their quality of life and lead to non-adherence to the anti-cancer treatment.
Current treatments for these skin toxicities have limited benefits and include skin moisturizers, sunscreens, topical steroids, and antibiotics. Unfortunately, the most effective treatment is dose reduction or discontinuation of the anti-cancer drug.
The solution
We propose a first-of-its-kind solution to block the EGFRi monoclonal antibodies topically. Current treatment strategies and new developments focus on symptom reduction post-EGFR inhibition when our solution blocks the initial trigger causing skin toxicity, the drug-receptor interaction. Our new approach can effectively reduce skin toxicity, enabling more cancer patients to go about their daily lives without compromising their anticancer treatment.
Market
Our solution (SDT 011) is targeting a global unmet need and a substantial market of $1.2B.
SDT 011 is the first-to-market product in the pipeline of the company. Additional new candidate compounds are currently in development for Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors’ induced skin toxicities that can substantially contribute to the market size.
Team
- SHARON MERIMS, M.D., CSO and Co-Founder is a senior dermatologist and Head of the skin toxicity clinic at the Sharett Institute of Oncology at Hadassah Medical Center.
PROF. OFRA BENNY, Ph.D., CTO and Co-Founder is an associate professor at the Institute for Drug Research in the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University. Her multidisciplinary research lab focused on drug delivery that overcomes pharmacological problems and respond to different microenvironmental conditions in target organs.
- LYORA AHARONOV, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder is an experienced R&D manager, expert in biological research with 15+ years of experience in the development of biopharma products and in management in several Biotech startup companies.
Contact
Dr. Lyora Aharonov (Ph.D.)