OVM-400

The K-RAS oncogene plays a crucial role in cell signalling pathways, regulating cell growth, differentiation, and death. Mutations in K-RAS, particularly in codons 12, 13, and 61, are frequent in various cancers including pancreatic cancer. They can cause the K-RAS protein to be permanently active, leading to excessive cell growth and cancer development. The importance of KRAS in cancer development has led to the development of targeted therapies that aim to inhibit mutated KRAS proteins, as these mutations are a key driver of cancer growth.

OVM-400 is designed to target the K-RAS mutation that is implicated in the development of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer that is notoriously resistant to treatment, with over 90% of pancreatic cancers being driven by mutations in the K-RAS gene. Pancreatic cancer is the 11th most common cancer worldwide with over 500,000 new cases per year. There is very high medical need for effective new therapies as 1 year survival for patients with pancreatic cancer is only 27% and 5 year survival is less than 10%.