“Box-5 appears to inhibit metastasis in certain specific tumour types, where, unlike Foxy-5, it blocks WNT-5A.”
Professor Tommy Andersson, CSO and founder WntResearch
Box-5 is another of WntResearch’s projects and is currently inactive.
Box-5 is a WNT5A antagonist. Preclinical studies have shown that even Box-5 has the potential to inhibit metastasis in other types of cancer than Foxy-5.
In cancers such as malignant melanoma, pancreatic and gastric cancer, WNT5A increases the ability of tumour cells to move within the body and to metastasize. WntResearch, therefore, also runs the drug project Box-5, based on a molecule with diametrically opposed properties compared to Foxy-5. Unlike Foxy-5, which is an agonist (receptor stimulator), the Box-5 blocks the action of the WNT5A protein and is thus an antagonist. In other words, Box-5 has been developed to prevent the spread of other types of cancer cells than those intended to be prevented by Foxy-5. Box-5 has shown a good ability to reduce the motility of melanoma cells in relevant preclinical experimental models and the Company has worked to optimize the pharmacokinetic properties of the substance.
The drug candidate Box-5 is in the preclinical phase. The company is currently working on developing a final drug candidate, with the aim of implementing a preclinical development required by regulatory authorities and then further into clinical phase 1.
