by Bryant Haskins, NCBiotech Writer — February 24, 2021 .
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Pittsboro-based startup Propella Therapeutics is teaming up with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to evaluate its new treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.
NCI and Propella have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to run a multi-center clinical trial that will examine abiraterone decanoate. Propella holds a patent on this injectable prodrug of abiraterone. Prodrugs are inactive compounds that the body metabolizes into drugs.
Abiraterone is a powerful CYP 17 enzyme inhibitor that stops the production of testosterone and other male hormones – or androgens – that feed prostate cancer cells. Current treatments use abiraterone acetate, which if taken orally on a daily basis can make the body produce too much or too little abiraterone. And that can cause toxicity or be ineffective against cancer tumors.