Qualigen Therapeutics, Inc. products
Therapeutics Pipeline
RAS Protein Inhibitors as Treatments for Advanced Solid Tumors
Our RAS-F portfolio includes lead and back-up small molecules that suppress the interaction of endogenous RAS with c-RAF, upstream of the KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS effector pathways. This potentially enables a differentiated, RAS-targeted strategy for inhibiting the MAPK, PI3K, and TOR pathways that are implicated in cancer cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation (see figure). RAS itself acts as a “hub” that activates multiple effector pathways and blocking any single pathway is ineffective for many tumor types, including pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers.
Investigational Therapeutic Device Product
Since its inception, the Qualigen’s initial R&D focus has been on its FastPack diagnostic system and related core technologies. These same technologies are now the basis for the Company’s expansion into therapeutic applications for the treatment of cancer and infectious disease. Qualigen’s Selective Target Antigen Removal System (STARS), is an investigational therapeutic device product currently under development and evaluation that will utilize core expertise in advanced reagents and coatings to remove disease associated agents directly from a patient’s blood.
G4 Binders As Potent Selective Transcription Inhibitors
Qualigen licensed the G4 selective transcription inhibitor platform from University College London (UCL) in 2022. The licensed technology comprises lead compound QN-302 (formerly SOP1812) and back-up compounds that target regulatory regions of cancer genes that down-regulate gene expression in multiple cancer pathways. Developed by Dr. Stephen Neidle and his group at UCL, the G4 binding concept is derived from 30+ years in nucleic acid research, including that of G4s, which are higher order DNA and RNA structures formed by sequences containing guanine-rich repeats. G4s are overrepresented in telomeres as well as promoter sequences and untranslated regions of many oncogenes. Their prevalence is therefore significantly greater in cancer cells compared to normal human cells.
Aptamer-Based investigational Drug
QN-247, formerly referred to as ALAN (Aptamer Linked Anti Nucleolin), is an aptamer-based investigational drug candidate currently under development and evaluation with the potential to treat a variety of different cancer types, including liquid and solid tumors. A key component of this drug candidate, the QN-165 aptamer, has been tested in over 100 cancer patients and is well tolerated with no evidence of severe side effects; with at least 7 patients having long-lasting clinical responses in which their cancers disappeared or shrank substantially. QN-247 binds the aptamer QN-165 to a gold nanoparticle, which gives it increased potency and versatility. Preclinical studies in breast cancer with QN-247 showed significantly enhanced activity compared to QN-165 alone. The broader versatility conferred on QN-165 by linking it to the nanoparticle includes such uses as enhanced radiation therapy, tumor imaging, and the delivery of other anti-cancer compounds directly to tumor cells.