Last quarter, we told you about the progress of ACF funded PEELTherapeutics (PEEL=a Hebrew word for elephant) toward a new treatment directed at COVID19 and cancer inflammation. According to Dr. Joshua Schiffman, one of PEELTherapeutics principal investigators, “ACF funding has been a crucial element of our team’s success and has built upon our original discovery of cancer resistance in elephants. As a pediatric oncologist caring for children with life-threatening illness and in a family with two loving dogs, I can share that this research is the most important work I’ve ever done and will impact dogs and humans around the world.
Together with you, ACF’s loyal friends, we have been able to sustain three outstanding projects outlined below:
- Anti-Cancer Small Molecule: PEG-[SN22]4 comes from a plant toxin used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. Our drug shows remarkable activity in mice with solid tumors, including aggressive childhood cancer and adult solid tumors. Some tumors shrink to nothing and never return. We are planning our first conversation with FDA during early 2021. See press release: PEEL Therapeutics Developing Cancer Drug from Plant Toxin.
- Anti-Inflammatory Medicine: Neutrophil Targeting Peptide (NTP) is a small protein (“peptide”) in newborns that blocks inflammation and clots. We see improved survival in mice with sepsis (multiorgan failure), respiratory distress, and stroke. PEEL’s NTPs work on the same inflammation in COVID-19 and may help many patients in the global pandemic. PEEL is planning our first FDA discussion in 2021. The ACF funding is essential to bring this new medicine forward. We’re also very excited because this anti-inflammatory medicine will help with cancer in companion animals and human patients. See press release: PEEL Therapeutics Announces Possible New Treatment for COVID-19.
- Elephant p53 (EP53) Drug: Our company began with cancer resistance in elephants, we are now constructing nanoparticles to deliver the cancer fighting EP53 directly to tumors as a type of gene therapy. These proprietary EP53 nanoparticles are currently under construction.”