Roquefort Therapeutics hails promising early cancer data

Roquefort Therapeutics PLC (LSE:ROQ, OTCQB:ROQAF) has achieved significant results in laboratory studies involving its anti-cancer mRNA treatment.

In straightforward terms, mRNA treatments instruct cells on how to fight diseases such as cancer. These studies have shown a marked decrease in both the growth and spread of breast and liver cancer cells.

The data come in the wake of the company’s announcement in March about their ongoing development of a unique anti-cancer mRNA therapeutic, called the Midkine (MDK) mRNA programme.

In collaboration with the University of New South Wales, the Roquefort Therapeutics team has showcased the cancer-fighting capacity of the MDK mRNA Program in lab models of breast and liver cancer.

In these lab tests, Roquefort’s innovative MDK mRNA program has proven effective in slowing down cancer cell growth and preventing the spread of the disease — an early warning sign of metastasis, which is when cancer spreads from its original site to other parts of the body.

The LSE Main Market-listed biotech recently strengthened its patent protections around its MDK mRNA research, further establishing its leadership in this highly promising field.

The mRNA cancer market is a rapidly expanding field of medicine, estimated at around $31 billion, with major players including Pfizer, Moderna, and BioNTech.

“We invested in mRNA to create a breakthrough medicine, targeting hard-to-treat cancers with the highest patient mortality rates,” said Roquefort chief executive Ajan Reginald. “Less than 30% of patients with liver and metastatic breast cancer survive five years and both cancers are associated with high rates of Midkine expression. And so, with our deep expertise in Midkine, this was a natural first target for our mRNA program.”

The company’s primary focus lies on solid cancers, particularly breast and liver cancer, where poor survival rates have been linked to elevated levels of Midkine.

Breast cancer, the leading life-threatening cancer among women, sees approximately 2.3 million new cases each year and causes around 685,000 deaths. Despite an overall survival rate of 91%, the survival rate drops drastically to around 30% once metastasis occurs.

Similarly, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), making up roughly 90% of all liver cancers, is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Existing treatments have limited efficacy, resulting in a five-year survival rate of just 21%.

Roquefort’s MDK mRNA research will now proceed to in vivo studies – those conducted in a living organism.

This involves targeted delivery technology to be developed in the company’s laboratory in Stratford-upon-Avon, marking another milestone in the journey to bring this promising treatment to market.

“mRNA is the most attractive field in Biotech and, within this highly innovative field, we are developing a unique Midkine niche,” said CEO Reginald. “These results, while early, validate our strategy that demonstrating a significant reduction in both proliferation and migration are an early proxy for metastasis. In parallel, our intellectual property portfolio has been enhanced through updated patent filing.”