Patrys’ anti-cancer agent kills more cancer cells when combined with FDA approved olaparid

Therapeutic drug company Patrys (ASX: PAB) has reported its PAT-DX1 cancer agent acts “synergistically” with olaparib to kill more cancer cells than single doses of each drug, alone.

The Yale University pre-clinical experiment compared the two drugs and found both killed a variety of cancer cells on their own and when used together, their combined reaction was “synergistic” which Patrys claims supports its understanding the drugs act through different but complementary pathways.

During the study, both drugs were used on brain and colon cancer cells and proved toxic and when used together, the combined drugs increased the death of cancer cells compared to using them singly.

Additionally, cells with intact DNA were not killed by the drugs either combined or in solo doses.

According to Patrys, this indicates the combined drugs will kill DNA repair-deficient cancers while sparing normal cells.

Olaparib has FDA and EMA approval as a targeted therapy for cancer several cancers with cancers that contain “defects in homologous recombination” due to mutations.

The treatment is sold under Lynparza and interferes with DNA repair in some ovarian, breast and prostate cancers.

Meanwhile, Patrys’ PAT-DX1 is an antibody that interrupts cells’ DNR damage repair pathways.

During pre-clinical trials, PAT-DX1 destroyed multiple cancer cells including glioblastoma, colon and triple negative breast cancer.

Patrys chief executive officer and managing director said the company will expand on the study with animals and “with PAT-DX1 conjugated nanoparticles dosed with olaparid”.

PAT-DX1 is the company’s human version of its existing Deoxymab 3E10 drug, which is an autoantibody which works differently to normal antibodies.

The Deoxymab drug can penetrate a cell’s nuclei and bind directly to the DNA then inhibit DNA repair and damage the cell. While normal cells can repair, mutated or DNA deficient cells (such in a variety of cancer cells) can be killed.

With its effectiveness in pre-clinical trials, Patrys said it believes its PAT-DX1 could potentially kill a range of cancers including gliomas, melanomas, prostate, breast, pancreatic and ovarian.

Patrys’ shares soared more than 50% on the news to sit at A$0.023 in mid afternoon trade.