Corgentech’s novel cancer therapy, HIF Decoy, is a high affinity, specific inhibitor of both HIF-1 and HIF-2, transcription factors that play key roles in cancer cell growth, survival and metastasis.
Corgentech researchers reported that systemic therapy with HIF Decoy inhibited tumor growth equivalent to that of Avastin in a renal cell carcinoma xenograft model at a non-optimized dose and regimen without a tumor targeting or delivery assist.
The investigators found that HIF Decoy caused tumor growth inhibition, reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA levels in tumors and increased apoptosis (programmed cell death). Corgentech previously reported that systemic delivery of HIF Decoy demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition and a decrease in HIF-regulated gene expression in colon and pancreatic tumor cell xenograft models.
Investigators next focused on technologies to extend the drug half-life and stability and also to target the drug more effectively to the tumor targets and reported that a folate-conjugated HIF Decoy resulted in dramatically enhanced uptake of decoy into tumor cells.