MEKanistic Therapeutics First-in-Class Cancer Clinical Candidate Approved to Receive Continued Development Support through the National Cancer Institute's Experimental Therapeutics (NExT) Program

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MEKanistic Therapeutics, a pioneering biotechnology company revolutionizing kinase inhibitors for cancer treatment, announced today that its investigational cancer clinical candidate MTX-531 has been approved for receiving continued development support from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Experimental Therapeutics (NExT) Program. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

The NExT Program's mission is to advance clinical practice and bring improved therapies to patients with cancer by supporting the most promising new drug discovery and development projects. The NExT Program is a translational research initiative aimed at accelerating the development of encouraging, innovative cancer therapies.

MEKanistic has developed a first-in-class highly targeted compound which blocks two key pathways (EGFR and PI3K) responsible for signaling in cancer cell growth. In preclinical animal studies, this novel dual inhibitor has demonstrated impressive tumor shrinkage and tolerability.

"We are thrilled that the NExT Program recognized the potential of MTX-531 to address unmet medical needs in cancer therapy," said Danny Cunagin, CEO of MEKanistic Therapeutics. "We are even more excited to continue to work with the NCI team to independently confirm the preclinical activity and safety profile of MTX-531.  We look forward to collaborating with the NExT project team to accelerate the development of this promising cancer therapy towards the clinic."

Through the NExT Program, MEKanistic Therapeutics will work with NCI staff and their contractors as part of a milestone-driven project team towards conducting IND enabling studies and clinical trial support, assessing the drug's safety and efficacy in cancer patients.

About MEKanistic Therapeutics

MEKanistic Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. Its lead candidate is a rationally designed drug that blocks two key pathways (EGFR and PI3K) used to signal cancer cell growth, with a single molecule. In preclinical studies, this first-in-class dual inhibitor has demonstrated impressive tumor shrinkage without the dose-limiting toxicity generally associated with other kinase inhibitors. MEKanistic Therapeutics is based in Minneapolis, MN and is privately held.

SOURCE MEKanistic Therapeutics, Inc.