A new therapeutic modality in oncology
Surgery, radiotherapy, pharmaceutical and biological agents used alone or in combination are usual treatment modalities in oncology.
Distant dissemination but also local failure and relapses are the major causes for morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, given the biological complexity of cancer and the range of its clinical manifestations, it seems probable that an effective approach needs to address multiple biological targets. Nowadays, scientists are seeking physics-based solutions for controlling biological responses. In any case the key challenge to the development of any therapy that is aimed at controlling cancer is to ensure a significant cytotoxic effect on tumor cells that does not or minimally target normal tissue.
Medical specificities and needs could be adequately treated with different NanoXray nanoparticles which design and use are determined by the tumor type and size, the disease stage, the invasion profile, the anatomical site and the patient specificities. Thus, the pipeline of NanoXray offers the performance of personalized medicine based on the patient and tumor specificities including the cancer.
Physical attributes of nanoparticles such as shape, compartmentalization and mechanical properties are crucial to biological functions. Research is needed and the emergence of powerful innovative treatments, based on the design of organic and inorganic nanomaterials may bring more efficient eradication of cancer.
What is NanoXray
The local control of cancer disease constitutes a fundamental step in anticancer treatment and is currently performed by surgery and radiotherapy. However, increased local control of cancer still represents a key challenge for improving patient outcomes. Radiotherapy treatment is currently limited by toxicity resulting from damage to healthy tissues and the difference between therapeutic effect and adverse events is referred to as the “therapeutic window“.
Nanobiotix is targeting this medical need: its NanoXray products have local mode of action and the potential to improve the effects of existing local therapy. NanoXray products work through and increase the therapeutic efficacy of an established and accepted physical mechanism of action that is used routinely in cancer treatment across the globe: radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is the most common tool for cancer treatment and is used in more than 5 million patients every year (representing 50 to 60% of total cancer patients).
NanoXray technology opens the therapeutic window by increasing the radiotherapy dose in the tumor without increasing damage to healthy tissue (see figure).
NanoXray’s therapeutic effects can be specifically controlled through targeted application of external ionizing radiation. These nanoparticles are to be activated in vivo by X-Rays regardless the linear accelerator used as source of ionizing radiation. Any equipment implemented in the clinic can be utilized for the activation of the NanoXray products.
The NanoXray technology is built around the concept that inert and inactive nanoparticles (typically 50 nm in diameter) can specifically absorb X-rays used in standard radiotherapy to deliver a higher efficient dose within the cancer cells. The nanoparticles have been specifically designed to address the huge unmet medical needs of radiotherapy.
The core NanoXray technology is designed around an inert and inactive compound that is not metabolized, meaning that are no potential side effects due to metabolites or products or off- activity. Just one administration is expected to be sufficient for the entire course of radiotherapy treatment.
Traditional radiotherapy relies upon the absorption of ionizing radiation by molecules, most often water molecules, ultimately resulting in the formation of free radicals. Intracellular free radicals cause damage to a wide range of biological molecules including DNA which ultimately leads to cell death. The NanoXray particles enhance the amount of free radical formation in the cell containing nanoparticles.
A key advantage of the NanoXray technology is an improved risk-benefit balance due to the potential increase of local energy amounts in conjunction with increased efficacy of radiotherapy, while the risk of damage to healthy tissue is unaffected by NanoXray. The nanoparticles are inert and are only “switched on” upon exposure to any standard source of radiation and return to their inactive state upon removal of the X-ray energy source. The therapeutic effect is therefore controlled by the administration of external radiotherapy.
By significantly enhancing the generation of free radicals, NanoXray particles could change the clinical outcome and may also enable radiotherapy to play a larger role as a curative treatment.
Nanobiotix plans to address abroad range of cancer indications using both its lead product NBTXR3 and further pipeline products based on the NanoXray technology. Initially NBTXR3 will be developed for cancer indications where:
- • There is significant unmet medical need for improved local disease control,
- • The current standard of care routinely includes radiotherapy,
- • Tumors are suitable for intra-tumoral injection of NBTXR3.
While NBTRX3 is the most advanced of Nanobiotix’s NanoXray products, the Company is also developing two other products, NBTRX IV and NBTRX TOPO:
The core of each of the three products is the same: hafnium oxide. The products differ in their surface coatings which are formulated to provide optimum delivery via the different modes of administration.
Based on the existing technology and preclinical results, Nanobiotix is developing other nanomedicine programs beyond NanoXray that will sustain its pipeline and will expand the uses of nanoparticles in medicine:
- nanoMag : Magnetic particles for treatment and diagnostic of cancer
- nanoPDT : laser activated nanoparticles for cancer treatment
- Nanobiotix is part of the Sonodrugs European consortium
- Outside oncology field : Business and development collaboration with Malaysian Biotech Corp
Nanobiotix Research Grant Application
Nanobiotix is a young and innovative company wishing to increase its academic network. We are a leading company in the development of nanomedicine and seek collaborations with investigators having overlapping interest.
We are closely collaborating with investigators and it is our intent to support the interest of our investigators to publish the results of our joint research in high ranked scientific journals.
In order to review external ideas in an efficient manner Nanobiotix has established some rules that will help you to prepare a proposal and us to review it in order to provide feedback no later than 6 weeks after receipt of your proposal.
Nanobiotix is open minded in structuring a collaboration to meet the interest of both partners. As such we do not propose a strict framework you need to comply with. In order to start a review process of your proposal please submit a White Paper of 3 pages to Nanobiotix. This document should contain an overview of the scientific background of your request, the objectives of the proposed study and an overview of the experiments you wish to perform. Please also indicate which form of support you are seeking (e.g. materials, funding, etc.). Proposals should be focused on the proposed experiments and the objectives of the collaboration should be achievable in an overseeable period of time.
We will review your proposal and will normally respond to you within 4 weeks, we will in no case exceed 6 weeks. We may ask you to participate a question/answer session and also to present face-to-face during the review process. Once your proposal has been approved the signing of a collaboration agreement with your institution is mandatory for Nanobiotix to initiate the research.
In exchange for our support Nanobiotix expects you to regularly prepare reports and to benefit from access to intellectual property, research results… etc.
Please be aware that Nanobiotix accepts all international and national requirements governing our research and development work. We expect you to adhere to the applicable guidelines and regulations as well.
Nanobiotix is willing to support direct funding and will also cover indirect costs. In an order to balance the direct and indirect contributions and to have a consistent balance of the indirect costs within the different territories across the globe Nanobiotix has decided that it will not support funding scheme with indirect costs exceeding 25%.
Should this meet your expectations please submit your White Paper to contact@nanobiotix.com.