Many people with head and neck cancer face harsh treatments like surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy: treatments that often damage speech, swallowing, or appearance. And even then, the cancer sometimes comes back. That can be done better. There is a critical need for therapies that can selectively eliminate tumor cells while preserving healthy tissue.
Lumox’s innovative approach, Rapid PhotoTherapy (RPT), offers a groundbreaking solution by combining highly selective nanobodies with light-activatable drugs. Patients will get an injection with their medicine, which will automatically “target” the tumor. Once this combination finds the tumor, doctors shine harmless light on the tumor, activating the medicine and destroying the tumor. What makes their treatment special is that it’s fast, targeted, and doesn’t harm healthy tissue. This could help patients keep their voice or ability to eat, and recover more quickly.
One of the other innovative aspects of this therapy includes its fast pharmacokinetics and short photosensitivity window, making it ideal for use as a neoadjuvant therapy. Beyond its application in head and neck cancers, RPT shows promise for other solid tumors accessible by light.
With support from the Biotech Booster program, Lumox will improve the production process of their medicine to prepare for future use in humans. They will also perform in vitro toxicity and pharmacology studies, and want to show in mice that the therapy truly works better than current alternatives. When successful, their therapy could improve the quality of life and outcomes for thousands of cancer patients every year.
