Kovina wins $2.3M NCI grant to push HPV cancer drug toward the clinic
What's the deal? Kovina TherapeuticsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has received a $2.3 million Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Cancer InstituteDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → to advance its lead oral therapy for HPV-driven cancers. The two-year grant funds the preclinical work needed to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.
What's the endgame? The Indianapolis-based startup develops small molecules that target E6, an oncoprotein made by Human Papillomavirus that helps HPV-positive cancer cells survive. Its aim is to inhibit E6 and restore p53, a tumour suppressor that E6 degrades.
Why now? The award follows publication of Kovina research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on directly targeting HPV E6. The company says the work showed restored p53 activity, selective killing of HPV-positive cancer cells, and reduced tumour growth in preclinical models.
Where the money goes: The grant covers IND-enabling work, including chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), pharmacology, and toxicology. CMC work will establish a reproducible manufacturing process for the oral small molecule, while safety studies define its profile before human testing.
"This award comes at an important point for Kovina as we move from compelling preclinical science into formal development," chief executive officer Kristin Sherman said.
Founder and chief scientific officer Elliot Androphy noted the difficulty of the approach: "HPV E6 has long been recognized as a compelling cancer target, but directly inhibiting it with a small molecule has been challenging."
The stakes: Despite preventive vaccines, HPV still carries a heavy cancer burden. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates it causes about 39,300 cancers a year in the US, including cervical and head and neck cancers.
The signal: As non-dilutive money, the grant lets the preclinical-stage company fund a costly development phase without ceding equity. But Kovina has not disclosed a timeline for filing an IND or starting trials, leaving the path to the clinic open-ended.
Read more: citybiz.co
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