The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (Agentschap NL) granted brain drug delivery company to-BBB an initial Innovation Credit of €1.2 million (about $1.7 million) to support a planned Phase I/II trial of its lead compound, which targets brain cancer. The credit will cover 35% of the costs needed for clinical development of 2B3-101.
2B3-101, brain-targeted doxorubicin liposomes, have been developed based on to-BBB’s G-Technology®, designed to safely enhance the delivery of drugs to the brain. The liposomes are coated with the tripeptide glutathione at the tips of polyethylene glycol (PEG), ensuring that they can circulate for a prolonged period in plasma. There, the glutathione joins with the tips of the PEG molecules, targeting the liposomes toward active glutathione transporters on the blood-brain barrier.
The clinical trial aims to establish a safe therapeutic dosage for 2B3-101 and collect preliminary evidence of activity in a specific group of women with brain metastases of breast cancer. The Phase I/II study will start in a few months at three academic hospitals in The Netherlands, led by neuro-oncology experts of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital (AVL-NKI).
2B3-101 has shown reduction of brain tumor growth in proof-of-concept studies at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, according to to-BBB. Clinical-scale batches of the compound have been produced by to-BBB’s manufacturing partner, TTY Biopharm.