麻豆区

Sapience is developing a novel peptide, beta-catenin antagonist, to treat colorectal cancer.

Avi Strauss 鈥�20K, a recent graduate of the Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship program at the , has performed a detailed market analysis on a new drug therapy for colorectal cancer. The analysis recommended that , a New York-based biotech company, develop a molecule called a novel beta-catenin antagonist for treatment of the cancer. Beta-catenin is part of the Wnt signaling pathway, which promotes tumor growth and suppresses the immune system. In addition to colorectal cancer, Strauss reviewed four other types of cancer that have high mortality rates and resist conventional therapies: acute lymphocytic leukemia, breast cancer, melanoma and multiple myeloma. He found that colorectal cancer patients would be a prime population for Sapience鈥檚 novel peptide because of the high incidence of a mutation in the Wnt signaling pathway that results in its overactivation and leads to the formation of cancer. 鈥淐olorectal cancer presents the highest upside according to the revenue projection model,鈥� said Strauss, who is a health care consultant for the Marwood Group, 鈥渁nd presents the largest potential available population among the five cancer types studied.鈥�

Avi Strauss 鈥�20K

Sapience鈥檚 therapeutic approach, according to Dr. Barry Kappel, founder, president, CEO and director, is to target protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that seem necessary to the survival of cancer or that inhibit the immune system鈥檚 response to cancerous tumors. The interactions targeted by Sapience are considered 鈥渦ndruggable鈥� due to the intracellular location of the PPIs, making them difficult to treat with small-molecule drugs such as chemotherapies that are incapable of disrupting PPIs and biologic-based drugs like monoclonal antibodies that are too big to enter cells. 鈥淧eptides combine the best properties of small and large molecules,鈥� said Dr. Kappel, 鈥渁nd present an opportunity to disrupt intracellular PPIs and to reduce mortality in cancer patients and possibly in other diseases.鈥� Robert Friedman, an adjunct professor in the Katz biotechnology program and Strauss鈥檚 advisor, said that Strauss鈥檚 presentation demonstrates the strength of the 鈥渕olecule-to-market nature鈥� of the Katz School鈥檚 biotechnology program and its emphasis on both understanding the science and translating it into practical and actionable decisions. 鈥淎vi鈥檚 understanding of the science, clinical development and the market were all critical to successfully completing the project,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he pi猫ce de r茅sistance of his elegant work is undoubtedly the market forecast model that the client will incorporate in its corporate planning process for years to come.鈥� The Katz School of Science and Health is an academic powerhouse in the heart of New York City. It offers master's programs in five sectors that are redefining the economy: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Biotech and Health, Digital Media, and Fintech. In the lab, classroom and clinic, we lead with kindness, integrity, generosity and a commitment to making the world safer, smarter and healthier. Click here for information about the Bright Futures Scholarship Initiative that offers a total fixed tuition of $25,000 for science and technology master's degrees.