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Highlights
- Lisata Therapeutics collaborates with Valo Therapeutics on a new skin cancer treatment approach.
- The research focuses on combining Lisata’s certepetide with Valo’s PeptiCRAd platform and a checkpoint inhibitor.
- The goal is to enhance immune response and address challenges in advanced melanoma treatment.
Lisata Therapeutics Inc., a US-based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, recently initiated a preclinical research partnership with Finnish immunotherapy developer Valo Therapeutics Oy. This collaboration aims to evaluate a novel approach to treating skin cancer, specifically melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer with limited effective options for advanced stages. This new research direction could potentially broaden the scope of immunotherapy-based treatments in oncology.
Exploring Certepetide and PeptiCRAd in Immunotherapy
At the core of this collaboration is Lisata’s investigational drug certepetide. Designed to modify the tumor environment, certepetide aims to make cancer cells more receptive to immunotherapy. Valo Therapeutics will conduct studies to examine the effects of combining certepetide with its proprietary PeptiCRAd immunotherapy platform and a checkpoint inhibitor. The trials, which will be conducted in a melanoma mouse model, could reveal enhanced therapeutic possibilities for skin cancer patients.
Kristen Buck, executive vice president of research and development at Lisata, noted the significance of this partnership, highlighting the drug’s prior preclinical results. According to Buck, certepetide has shown synergistic effects when used with immunotherapies, suggesting that the drug could improve treatment responses when combined with ValoTx’s PeptiCRAd platform. The combined approach could tackle issues like tumor resistance and recurrence, potentially improving outcomes for patients.
Potential Benefits of PeptiCRAd and Certepetide Combination
Valo Therapeutics’ PeptiCRAd platform represents a promising development in cancer treatment. This technology uses peptides to enhance the body’s immune response against cancer cells, amplifying the effectiveness of existing immunotherapies. By combining PeptiCRAd with Lisata’s certepetide, the research aims to create a multifaceted approach to target cancer cells more effectively.
Sari Pesonen, CEO and chief scientific officer of Valo Therapeutics, expressed optimism about this collaboration. Pesonen noted that the combined use of certepetide’s tumor-targeting technology and PeptiCRAd’s immune-enhancing capabilities could pave the way for new advancements in immunotherapy, specifically in the field of skin cancer.
Addressing Unmet Needs in Melanoma Treatment
Melanoma is a particularly aggressive type of skin cancer that leads to thousands of deaths worldwide each year. While standard treatments such as checkpoint inhibitors show response rates of around 35% to 60%, a substantial number of patients, particularly those with advanced melanoma, still face limited treatment options. This preclinical collaboration between Lisata Therapeutics and Valo Therapeutics aims to address these gaps by developing a new treatment combination that may provide improved outcomes for those affected by melanoma.
