Pipeline

According to WHO 2020 data, cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for̴ 10M deaths per year. The most common death-causing cancers are lung, colon, liver, stomach, and breast. The number of people killed depends on cancer incidence and survival. Cancers with the lowest survival rates are pancreatic, mesothelial, gallbladder, esophageal, liver, lung, and brain. The most common malignant brain tumour in adults is glioblastoma, with̴ 300k cases and̴ 200k deaths per year and the average life after diagnosis is 12-18 months. There is no efficient treatment for glioblastoma, and the investigational candidates are prioritised by fast-track designation from the FDA or orphan drug designation from EMA. The existing therapies fail due to limited brain entrance, lack of specificity, poor targeting and brain penetration.

Injuries, ulcers and surgeries result in over 100M new scar cases annually causing discomfort, physical limitations, psychological problems and social problems. The existing treatment is inefficient due to the lack morphogenic signalling, insufficient control over inflammatory response and extracellular matrix synthesis-breakdown.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder affecting 125M people globally, with a higher incidence in the age group of 60–69 years and a similar distribution among men and women. The disease manifests as a defect in the proliferation and differentiation of skin keratinocytes associated with inflammatory cell infiltration, causing plaques that itch, burn, and sting. These plaques appear on any part of the body, but are most often found on the elbows, knees, and scalp. Current treatments include topical therapies, phototherapy, systemic immune modulators, and biologics, and they manage to alleviate symptoms and partially improve quality of life. However, a permanent cure has not been achieved.

Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of death worldwide, and the rapidly ageing population makes the number of cases grow. The most common life-threatening condition is acute coronary syndrome usually treated surgically. The procedure is related to ischaemia/reperfusion-induced damage of cardiomyocyte mitochondria leading to tissue dysfunction that might cause irreversible myocardial damage and lead to disability or even death. Currently, there are no efficient and evidence-based clinical practices that would help to decrease mitochondrial damage during cardiac surgery. This leads to negative postoperative results and a higher incidence of postoperative heart insufficiency.