april 8, 2024

Ectin establishes zebrafish models for uveal melanoma

Ectin Research AB (”Ectin” or the ”Company”) has today (April 8th 2024) announced that during the beginning of 2024, the company has set up models in zebrafish to study how MFA-370 affects tumor development in the aggressive eye cancer uveal melanoma.

In collaboration with a preclinical CRO (Contract Research Organization), Ectin has successfully set up and validated model systems to study uveal melanoma in zebrafish embryos. In parallel with the development of translatable animal models for uveal melanoma, Ectin has studied how MFA-370 is tolerated by zebrafish embryos. These studies have now been completed and the next step is to carry out efficacy studies in one of the now-established disease models.

Ectin’s models in zebrafish are very cost-effective and have a relatively short analysis time compared to other animal models. They are adapted to sensitively detect treatment effect in the form of potential regression in tumor growth or spread of the cancer. Another advantage is that studies of disease models in zebrafish have high translatability from animals to humans (1).

”Studies in uveal melanoma involve several product development advantages compared to other broader indications. We look forward to being able to present preclinical efficacy data from the zebrafish studies in 2024. Positive efficacy data would give us good conditions for cost-effective clinical studies and create out-licensing opportunities in a relatively short time,” says Anna Sjöblom-Hallén, CEO of Ectin Research.

More about uveal melanoma

Uveal melanoma is a rare disease, a form of malignant melanoma that affects the uveal tract of the eye in approximately 7,000 people globally each year. Despite treatments of the primary tumor, about half of the patients will relapse and develop metastases, often in the liver, which means a very poor prognosis. As current treatments for metastatic uveal melanoma only have a limited effect in the patient population, this means that a large proportion of patients die within a year. In 2023, the global uveal melanoma market was estimated at US$ 1.4 billion and it is expected to increase to US$ 2.4 billion by 2033 with an annual growth rate of 5.5 percent during the period (2). The benefit of developing an orphan drug can be financial support, regulatory assistance from regulatory authorities and market exclusivity for a number of years.

 

  1. Frontiers in Cell and Development Biology, Kobar et al, 2021;9: 1-27 och Annual Review Cancer Biol, McConnell et al, 2021; 5: 331-50
  2. https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/uveal-melanoma-treatment-market