Q BioMed announces publication of research showing augmented efficacy of its drug candidate Uttroside-B against liver cancer

NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Q BioMed, Inc. (OTCQB: QBIO) a commercial-stage biotechnology development company announces a new publication supporting the efficacy and further development of its Uttroside B chemotherapeutic to treat liver cancer.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) constitutes 90% of all liver cancer incidences, worldwide. The Uttroside-B compound was isolated and characterized from the leaves of Solanum nigrum Linn, a plant widely used in traditional medicines. In the initial Scientific Reports study, researchers showed that in animal models, Uttroside-B was ten times more cytotoxic to the HepG2 liver cancer cell line than sorafenib, the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for liver cancer approved at the time. Uttroside-B drastically shrunk tumors in mice bearing human liver cancer xenografts. In addition, in pre-clinical experiments, Uttroside-B induced cytotoxicity in all liver cancer cell lines, and researchers were also able to confirm its biological safety, in both in vitro and in vivo studies.

This innovation has been granted a patent from the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea and has been conferred 'Orphan Drug' status against HCC by the U.S. FDA.

The present study reveals that besides causing apoptosis, Uttroside-B (Utt-B) also induces autophagy, a self-degradation process occurring inside cells that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components and recycles the cellular components, both in liver cancer cells and in liver tumors. The team investigated whether Utt-B-induced autophagic response is complementing or contradicting its apoptotic cell death program in HCC. They found that inhibition of autophagy using the antimalarial drug chloroquine (Cqn) significantly enhances the antitumor efficacy of Utt-B in cell culture systems and in an animal tumor model of human HCC. Taken together, these results suggest that the antitumor effect of Utt-B against HCC can be further enhanced by blocking autophagy. Furthermore, Cqn, a clinically approved drug, if repurposed and used in combination with Utt-B, can improve the therapeutic efficacy of Utt-B against HCC. The Frontiers in Oncology journal article can be accessed here https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2022.812598/full.

Denis Corin, Q BioMed CEO, said, "Having successfully completed a very challenging synthesis program, we are now finalizing manufacturing for tox studies. This data is another validation of the potential of this molecule that we hope will ultimately provide a powerful therapeutic for use on its own or in combination with others to improve the outcomes for these patients. We are looking forward to moving this towards the clinic and possible partnership opportunities in the near term." 

Liver cancer incidence rates have more than tripled since 1980, while the death rates have more than doubled during this time. More than 800,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer each year throughout the world and it accounts for more than 700,000 deaths annually.

The research has been led by Dr. Ruby John Anto, a senior investigator at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB). Q BioMed has the exclusive license to the technology through an agreement with RGCB and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. 

Please visit www.QBioMed.com for more information on our various pipeline products.

About Q BioMed Inc.

Q BioMed Inc. (Q) is a commercial-stage biomedical acceleration and development company. We are focused on licensing and acquiring biomedical assets across the healthcare spectrum. Q is dedicated to providing these target assets the strategic resources, developmental support, and expansion capital they need to ensure they meet their developmental potential, enabling them to provide products to patients in need‏.

Please visit http://www.QBioMed.com and sign up for regular updates.

About Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

OMRF (omrf.org) is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and developing more effective treatments for human diseases. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas as cancer, diseases of aging, lupus and cardiovascular disease.

About The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology 

RGCB is an autonomous national institution fully owned by the Government of India. It does pioneering research in cellular and molecular mechanisms of human, animal and plant disease by amalgamating theory, modeling, simulation, and experimental science.

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Q BioMed Media Contact: 
Denis Corin 
CEO

Investor Relations: 
Keith Pinder 
+1(404) 995-6671 
[email protected]

Dr. Ruby John Anto, PhD, FNASc, FAS
Scientist G
Division of Cancer Research
Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
Thiruvananthapuram-695014 
Phone: 0471-2529473

SOURCE Q BioMed, Inc.