Empowered Patient Podcast Breakthrough Drug Blocks RAGE Receptor to Inhibit Cancer Metastasis Enhance Effectiveness of Radiation with Dr. Steve Marcus Cantex Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Steve Marcus, CEO of Cantex Pharmaceuticals, emphasizes the importance of the RAGE receptor in diseases like cancer and inflammation. Their lead compound, azeliragon, blocks the activation of the RAGE receptor and shows effectiveness in inhibiting cancer metastasis and enhancing the impact of radiation. Clinical trials are underway for breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, and COVID-19. This approach addresses the cancer cells and the microenvironment in which they reside to reduce disease progression and alter the immune environment.
Steve explains, "RAGE is a receptor on the surface of cells that sends signals to the cell that can either enhance or harm health. When over-activated, RAGE has been implicated in a wide range of inflammatory diseases and cancers. In cancer, in particular, over-activation of RAGE has been associated with both the invasiveness of cancer, with the progression of cancer, and with metastasis of cancer."
"Azeliragon blocks the binding of anything that can activate RAGE. The molecules, the proteins that bind to RAGE, are collectively called ligands, ligands meaning something that ligates or binds to the receptor. What azeliragon does is it binds to the receptor. It binds to the portion of the receptor that accepts the ligands and, therefore, blocks the binding of all the ligands. So it's a little bit like if you imagine a lock and the key, and it's almost like putting gum inside the keyhole so the key won't fit in. It's the same type of thing whereby by binding to the receptor, none of the ligands can bind to it."
"One of the attractive things about azeliragon is that it's a capsule. It's a pill taken by mouth. Originally the drug was developed for Alzheimer's disease, and we're repurposing it as a treatment of cancer. In those early clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease, it was remarkably safe. Patients had very little, if any, side effects from the drug. It was comparable to the placebo arm of the clinical trial. The drug is taken once a day by mouth. In the early clinical trials, it was taken for as long as 18 months every day. Another attractive thing about this is that the tumor will be exposed to the drug every day because the person is taking the drug every day."
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