VANCOUVER, British Columbia and SEATTLE, Feb. 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pascal Biosciences
Inc. (TSX.V:PAS) (“Pascal” or the “Company”) today announced the Company has discovered certain cannabinoids that enhance
the immunogenicity of tumor cells, rendering them more susceptible to recognition by the immune system. This discovery is important
because the leading class of new cancer fighting agents, termed “checkpoint inhibitors”, activates the immune system to destroy
cancer cells. Enhancing recognition of cancer cells with cannabinoids may greatly improve the efficacy of this drug class.
Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds which give the cannabis plant its medicinal properties with over 100 different cannabinoids
identified. There is a growing body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer
symptoms, including nausea, appetite enhancement, and pain management. However, Pascal is the first to identify a mechanism in
which cannabinoids may provide a direct benefit in immunotherapy.
Tumor cells often arise in individuals, but they are usually recognized by the immune system and destroyed. The
immune system identifies cells as either normal or dangerous in a process called immunosurveillance. Cells that have become
cancerous are recognized by cytotoxic T cells, specialized immune cells that target and kill the tumor cell. However, some
malignant cells, particularly metastatic cells, employ an immune escape strategy to subvert and avoid recognition and are not
recognized and attacked by cytotoxic T cells. This allows the spread of tumor cells to other tissues, potentially leading to fatal
disease.
Checkpoint inhibitors are recently approved drugs that activate the immune system to kill tumor cells. These
drugs are commercially successful (Opdivo®, Keytruda®, and Yervoy® together had over $6B in 2017 sales) and more importantly, can
cure patients with some types of cancer, but only a fraction of patients (generally less than half) respond to the drugs. There are
currently many efforts to find drugs that will enhance the activity of checkpoint inhibitors, and Pascal has discovered
cannabinoids that activate a key step for immune recognition.
University of British Columbia Professor Wilf Jefferies and his research team in the Michael Smith Laboratories
have developed a proprietary assay to discover compounds that can increase immune recognition of tumor cells. Dr. Jefferies, the
scientific founder of Pascal, and his team screened thousands of natural products and subsequently identified certain cannabinoid
molecules which have the greatest potency in their assay. While different cannabinoids show numerous biological and pharmacological
effects, this is the first demonstration of immune activation by individual cannabinoids. Scientists from both UBC and Pascal have
demonstrated that specific cannabinoids have strong potency on both mouse and human cancer cells.
“We are very excited about this novel discovery,” commented Dr. Patrick Gray, CEO of Pascal Biosciences.
“Cannabinoids typically have good pharmacological properties, as most have low toxicity and are easily absorbed into the blood,
which are great advantages for drug development. In combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, cannabinoids may significantly
improve cancer care. We look forward to soon translating our results into clinical studies.”
ABOUT PASCAL BIOSCIENCES INC.
Pascal Biosciences, Inc. (PAS, formerly bioMmune Technologies Inc.) is a drug discovery and development company focused on
harnessing the body’s immune system to fight cancer. The Company’s three significant technologies are:
- Utilizing proprietary screening systems for identifying novel compounds that are able to restore immune recognition
and killing of cancer cells;
- Exploiting the regulation of specific calcium channels expressed by cells of the immune system. By regulating these calcium
channels, immune activity can be controlled to combat cancers, infections and autoimmune diseases; and
- Developing a therapeutic monoclonal antibody for B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood
leukemia, in collaboration with the University of New Mexico.
To learn more, visit: https://www.pascalbiosciences.com/.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Dr. Patrick W. Gray, President & CEO
Company Contact:
Dr. Patrick Gray
Tel: 206-650-6765
Investors:
invest@pascalbiosciences.com
Tel: 206-221-3443
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“estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect” and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements or information
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, events or developments, or
industry results, to be materially different from any future results, events or developments express or implied by such
forward-looking statements or information. Such factors include, among others, our stage of development, lack of any product
revenues, additional capital requirements, risk associated with the completion of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval
to market our products, the ability to protect our intellectual property, dependence on collaborative partners and the prospects
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uncertainties that could cause such actual events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and
information to differ materially from any future events or results expressed or implied by such statements and information include,
but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties that: products that we develop may not succeed in preclinical or clinical
trials, or future products in our targeted corporate objectives; our future operating results are uncertain and likely to
fluctuate; we may not be able to raise additional capital; we may not be successful in establishing additional corporate
collaborations or licensing arrangements; we may not be able to establish marketing and the costs of launching our products may be
greater than anticipated; we have no experience in commercial manufacturing; we may face unknown risks related to intellectual
property matters; we face increased competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; and other factors as described in
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