EMRIS Pharma is developing a novel small molecule topically administrated for the prevention of skin toxicities induced by EGFR inhibitors (EGFRi). This innovative therapy intends to improve cancer patients’ quality of life and compliance with cancer therapy.
The problem
Most Patients (80-90% of patients) treated with EGFR inhibitor monoclonal antibodies (e.g Cetuximab and Panitumumab) suffer from skin toxicities that impair severely their quality of life and require dose reduction or interruption in the anti-cancer drug protocols.
Current treatment regimens for EGFRi skin toxicity are of limited benefit and include skin moisturizers, sunscreens, topical steroids and doxycycline or minocycline. Unfortunately, the most effective treatment is dose reduction, or drug discontinuation.
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 huge market with global unmet need. The market is also expected to substantially grow due to new combinations of cancer treatments with EGFRi and a potential product approval of new EGFRi bi-specific antibodies.
There are big market players that will have a potential interest in our product.
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 overcome pharmacological problems and respond to different microenvironmental conditions in target organs.
LYORA AHARONOV, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder is an experienced project manager and expert in biological research with 15+ years of extensive hands-on and management experience in academic and industrial R&D.
Contact
Dr. Lyora Aharonov (Ph.D.)