A precision drug delivery technology with roots at UNC-Chapel Hill has reached a major milestone: Continuity Biosciences recently launched a first-in-human phase I clinical trial of its iontophoretic oncology platform (IOP) for pancreatic cancer, now open for enrollment at academic medical centers in Michigan and West Virginia.
The IOP is designed to enable localized, controlled delivery of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine directly into pancreatic tumors, aiming to address longstanding challenges in drug penetration and systemic toxicity that have limited the effectiveness of conventional treatment approaches. By concentrating chemotherapy at the tumor site rather than circulating it throughout the body, the approach has the potential to improve therapeutic impact while sparing patients from the harsh side effects that often accompany standard systemic treatment.
The technology traces its origins to Focal Medical — an oncology device company co-founded by Jen Jen Yeh, MD, founding director of the UNC Lineberger Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence, and Joseph DeSimone, PhD, Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill — before being acquired by Continuity Biosciences. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality, with five-year survival rates hovering around 13 percent. Despite advances in therapies, effective drug delivery to pancreatic tumors and systemic side effects continues to be a major barrier to improved outcomes. “If we can deliver treatments straight to the tumor and avoid harming healthy tissue, patients could see better results, fewer side effects, and more options for combining different treatments together,” Yeh said.
Beyond pancreatic cancer, Continuity Biosciences is also exploring the platform’s applicability in other oncology settings, including localized delivery of carboplatin in oral head and neck cancers.
– Tyler Rice, UNC Lineberger Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence