NoCanTher Consortium meets for its final review

11.03.2022

 

After 6 years of NoCanTher project, the members of the Consortium proudly smile in their last Review Meeting. 

 

In 2016, the EU-funded NoCanTher project was launched with the aim of bringing new nanotechnology therapeutics to the fight against pancreatic cancer.

NoCanTher aimed at translating previously developed nanoformulations to early clinical development for pancreatic cancer. These nanoformulations are based on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles multifuntionalised with a target peptide and an anticancer chemical drug, allowing for a synergistic therapeutic effect produced by the combination of intracellular drug delivery and magnetic hyperthermia. 

In a combined effort from scientists working in several European countries, NoCanTher has developed a novel nanomedicine treatment which is now being trialled in a clinical setting – a significant milestone following 10 years’ worth of research and development.

The preclinical data showed that the therapy both reduces the volume of the tumour and boosts the impact of chemotherapy against cancer cells. The ongoing clinical study is taking place at two sites in Spain, testing the new therapy on patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. This group accounts for around 20 % of pancreatic cancer patients, and palliative chemotherapy is usually the only treatment available.

This pilot study represents an important step forward in opening up new therapeutic avenues for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, for whom there are no other alternatives but chemotherapy. The team will now continue to collect and evaluate all the clinical data, before the therapy can be introduced into medical practice.

The NoCanTher consortium involves researchers from 11 institutions, spread across five countries: Ireland, France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Rodolfo Miranda, Director of IMDEA Nanociencia, and scientific co-coordinator of the NoCanTher project, stresses that this collaboration was key in securing regulatory approval for the clinical study.

 

More information: CORDIS Research Results in 6 languages