Cancer

Welichem is rapidly developing a novel, small molecule (WBI-2100) as a chemo-therapeutic treatment for cancer, especially for treating certain types of solid tumors.

The global anti-cancer market had an estimated value of $47 billion in year 2006. Due to the high risk-to-benefit ratio of currently available treatments, the market is still largely undervalued. According to the World Cancer Report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of new cancer diagnoses in 2000 could increase by 50% to 15 million new cases in 2020. This figure is based on one of the most comprehensive global examinations of the disease to date and it is speculated that the increase might be caused mainly by changes in environment and lifestyle. The rapidly increasing cancer incidence, combined with the lack of significant advances in chemotherapy for this metastatic disease, could increase the value of the global market for cancer (including the cancer treatment and supportive care markets) to over $65 billion by 2012. From the human healthcare perspective the need is very strong and from the perspective of the pharmaceutical industry the economic returns are very high for successful drugs. Welichem and Celestial Pharmaceuticals (Shenzhen) Ltd. have discovered a compound with exceptional potential to address this urgent problem and to minimize the risk of its development.

Our lead compound, WBI-2100, specifically inhibits solid tumors over hematopoietic cancers. Solid tumors account for 67% of all malignant types, and thus represent an enormous market potential for the drug candidate. In the United States alone, there were over 1.3 million people diagnosed with solid tumours in 2006. Since WBI-2100 has shown some commonality of efficacy across a range of solid tumor types, it may have applicability in multiple indications and thus has potential increased use and sales.

In animal model studies, WBI-2100 has shown very encouraging results by inhibiting tumor growth without causing overt non-target toxicity. These studies support on-going cell-based studies, some of which have identified the most sensitive cancer targets for this drug candidate.

WBI-2100 is a small molecule compound that is anticipated to be easier to administer, rapid acting and cost significantly less than biologics. In preliminary animal studies, it enhanced the chemotherapeutic benefit of leading chemotherapeutic drugs against solid tumors and showed effects comparable with the commonly used CIN-treating drug, but without the undesirable side effects. To the best of our knowledge, there are no small molecules in the market or under development that show such dual activity. By inhibiting cancer growth while stimulating neutrophils, WBI-2100 has the potential to be marketed as a new generation of cancer treatment agents that is more effective and better tolerated. Collectively, the properties of WBI-2100 suggest a compound with potential for advanced chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer either separately or in combination with other pharmaceutical drugs. Confirmation of the drug’s properties would facilitate the completion of formal preclinical trials later this year.