This Monday, the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) of Taiwan released their research results for a new targeted cancer drug, DBPR728. Their work was published in, and featured on the cover of, the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR’s) well-known journal “Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.”
The announcement was made jointly by NHRI President Huey-Kang Sytwu (司徒惠康) alongside Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research Director Hsieh Hsing-pang (謝興邦) and researcher Chi Ya-hui (紀雅惠). The new drug targets and promotes the degradation of MYC oncogenes, which drive the growth of cancer cells and enable them to evade immune response.
Sytwu was excited to announce the successful development of this drug, which is the result of many years of effort from Chi’s research team. He said DBPR728 can be taken orally, and that they have confirmed it has an excellent therapeutic effect on triple-negative breast cancer, small-cell lung cancer, liver cancer, and medulloblastoma.
Chi added that about 28% of common cancers involve MYC oncogene amplification, and that it has been difficult to design effective drugs targeting MYC proteins. The DBPR728 molecule is not only highly potent against MYC-family oncogenes, but also enables the gradual release of the active compound into tumors, making it more effective than similar drugs on the market.
Sytwu said that according to the AACR’s 2022 research report, 9.89 million of the 18.1 million cancer patients in 2020 died, a mortality rate of more than 50%. The report further estimated that by 2040, cancer patients worldwide will increase to 28 million, with the number of projected deaths reaching 16.2 million. Considering these statistics, advances in precision oncology are needed more than ever.