Telormedix, Foamix Receive EU Funding

Telormedix SA and Foamix Ltd. are focused on TLR7 agonists in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases and on topical foam delivery systems, respectively. Together the companies will coordinate a two-year international research project aimed at developing a new skin cancer topical treatment based on a foam formulation of one of Telormedix' promising drug candidates, TMX-202. The project, operating under the acronym TOSCA, will have a total budget of just under € 950K.  

The TOSCA project’s main focus will be to develop an effective and safe topical treatment for skin cancer (dermatological cancers), actinic keratosis (AK) and genital warts by combining the target specific binding properties of TMX-202 with an innovative foam formulation to optimize skin penetration, drug delivery and patient compliance.

Efficacy and safety of the formulated compound will be studied and compared to current therapeutic approaches in a suite of proof-of-concept preclinical experiments using a unique animal model that closely mimics development of skin diseases in humans. Two additional research teams will also be participating in this TOSCA project: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany); and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Germany). Alcide Barberis, Head of Research and Collaborations at Telormedix, has been appointed as the project’s scientific coordinator.

Alcide Barberis commented: “We are delighted to once again receive funding from the Eurostars Programme to coordinate a promising research collaboration with strong international partners. After LIPODEL in September 2011, TOSCA is the second project to be so sponsored and we look forward to working with Foamix, Charité Hospital in Berlin and the DKFZ on developing an innovative compound formulation effective against dermatological cancers.”

Johanna Holldack, CEO at Telormedix, added: “This is another opportunity to take one of our compounds to the next development level and we are proud to be a partner of choice for this promising dermatological programme.” Dov Tamarkin, CEO at Foamix, concurred: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Telormedix on this innovative and promising project. We are convinced that our team effort will result in a useful product for the many millions patients suffering from skin cancer, actinic keratosis and genital warts.” 

There is an immense market potential for topical TMX-202. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common skin cancer; an estimated 2.8 million are diagnosed annually in the US with BCC and 700,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US with BCC. Actinic keratosis is the most common precancerous condition; it affects more than 58 million Americans.  An estimated 40 million Americans are infected with genital warts. Between 500,000 and one million new cases of genital warts are diagnosed each year. 

The Eurostars Programme is the European funding and support programme specifically dedicated to stimulating international collaborative research and innovation projects of small and medium enterprises. For further information on the Eurostars Programme, please visit: www.eurostars-eureka.eu