Sathgen Therapeutics announces completion of first cohort in phase 1 clinical trial with anti-cancer drug

Sathgen aims to develop MSP008-22 for difficult-to-treat cancers, starting with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and prostate cancer as proof-of-principle

Sathgen Therapeutics, a division of a leading chemical conglomerate in India – Godavari Biorefineries Limited (GBL), announced the completion of the first cohort in a Phase 1 clinical trial with their first-in-class New Chemical Entity (NCE), MSP008-22. Clinexel Life Sciences, a leading clinical research organisation, is supporting and managing the clinical development programme for global approvals.

Sathgen aims to develop MSP008-22 for difficult-to-treat cancers, starting with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and prostate cancer as proof-of-principle. The lead molecule targets both the bulk cancer cells as well as the treatment-resistant population, making it an exciting prospect against various types of aggressive cancers. Moreover, this NCE did not present any adverse events in the first cohort.

“TNBC accounts for 15 per cent of all breast cancer and 30 per cent of breast cancer-related mortality. They are characterised by the lack of expression of the estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2, making it difficult to treat with conventional hormone therapy. MSP008-22 will address the significant therapeutic discrepancy and need that exists for TNBC”, said Professor Sendurai Mani, Associate Director, Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University and Scientific Co – Founder, Sathgen Therapeutics.

“The clinical trial of MSP008-22 marks our first programme to enter clinical development, which is a major milestone moment for us. This drug is our lead candidate for treating patients with TNBC and prostate cancer, and enhances the efficacy of standard-of-care chemotherapy”, said Dr Sangeeta Srivastava, Executive Director, Godavari Biorefineries Limited and CSO, Sathgen Therapeutics.

“At Godavari Biorefineries, we value research as the core of our work, creating ongoing benefits for society. We take pride in leading the way in research and innovation, seeking to generate value and sustainable advantages. We lay particular focus on cancer drug discovery, as cancer is a devastating disease with limited effective treatments. The MSP008-22 clinical trial marks a significant step forward in our mission to help patients with hard-to-treat cancers”, said Samir Somaiya, Chairman and Managing Director, Godavari Biorefineries Limited and Executive Co – Founder, Sathgen Therapeutics.

Dr Deepa Arora, CEO, Clinexel stated, “The successful completion of the first cohort of this study (NCT05478486)  in patients with advanced solid tumours without any adverse events is very encouraging. We are designing the clinical development program to expedite the clinical development and marketing approvals for bringing a safe and effective oral therapy to address a major therapeutic gap in the management of TNBC and prostate cancer.’”