The PNP Technology

Cancer Targets

Over the course of more than 10 years of active research by PNP scientists, the PNP Treatment Strategy has been shown to be effective against all tumor types and depends only upon the ability to selectively deliver the E. coli PNP gene to tumor tissues. PNP Therapeutics has elected to pursue head-and-neck cancer as its first commercial target. This particular cancer was selected to take advantage of the obvious accessibility of certain forms (oral and pharyngeal being examples) and the significant number of cases diagnosed annually which will provide a large patient base from which to recruit trial participants. Oral and pharyngeal cancer, in fact, is the sixth most common malignancy reported worldwide and continues to show high mortality ratios among all malignancies. For 2008, the global number of new cases for cancers of these sites was projected to be 405,318 cases. In the United States, 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year; a total of 55,000 plus for all forms of head-and-neck cancer. The incidence and mortality from oral cancers in Europe is estimated to be 100,800 new cases diagnosed and approximately 40,000 deaths. Although there have been significant improvements in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical techniques, the disease is often particularly challenging to treat since most patients present with advanced cases, have secondary tumors and suffer from other co-morbidities. The 5-year survival rate has not improved (50% overall) for the last few decades. The NCI documents that annual treatment costs in America alone exceed $3.2 billion.