Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. Awarded SBIR Grant for Development Of Novel Multifunctional Nanoemulsion For Imaging And Therapy Of Ovarian Cancer
Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. (NMI), announced today that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I contract by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NMI-300 program assesses and validates the imaging, targeting
Online, November 16, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. (NMI), announced today that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I contract by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NMI-300 program assesses and validates the imaging, targeting, cytotoxicity and pharmacokinetics of novel multifunctional nanoemulsions containing lipophilic platinum-derivatives alone or in combination with the pro-apoptopic molecules.
Today 70% of patients with advanced ovarian cancer will achieve clinically complete remission with first line treatments of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Unfortunately a majority these patients are destined to relapse and eventually die of disease due to a persistence of chemoresistant cells which metastasize throughout the body. Our overarching strategy addresses the major failures of the first line therapy and diagnostics by using multifunctional nanoemulsions to target, image, and eradicate chemosensitive and chemoresistant tumor cells. This SBIR program will extend prior rodent studies and move the technology one step closer to clinical utility.
NMI has created a consortium of partners that will support the program, including Northeastern University, and The Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory.
NMI President and CEO Dr. Tim Coleman states that this work will make an impact on patient care, "Nanomedicine development is at its nascent stage, and the focus of NMI's work is on developing novel concepts into life saving products."
Mansoor Amiji, Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, at Northeastern University's School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, and NMI co-founder , developed the initial technology that has been licensed by NMI . Prof Amiji said, "The improved bioavailability of these nanonemulsions will significantly extend the therapeutic impact to chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells. Advancing translation research of these safe and effective multifunctional nanoemulsions is urgently needed to create products with enhanced clinical utility."