Monopar Announces
Publication Demonstrating Potential Utility
of MNPR-101
as an Imaging Agent to
Improve
Surgical Outcomes in Bladder
Cancer
WILMETTE,
IL, February 11, 2021 – Monopar Therapeutics Inc.
(Nasdaq: MNPR), a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company primarily
focused on developing proprietary therapeutics designed to extend
life or improve the quality of life for cancer
patients, today announced the publication
of a peer-reviewed study in the
European Journal
of Cancer which shows the
potential utility of MNPR-101 as a uPAR imaging agent to improve
surgical outcomes in bladder cancer.
Using Monopar’s proprietary humanized uPAR antibody,
MNPR-101, a multimodal imaging probe was developed and
tested in
vivo in human bladder cancer
models. The publication reports that high expression of uPAR in
bladder cancer is localized at the tumor periphery, suggesting that
using a fluorescent-conjugated MNPR-101 probe might allow surgeons
to better visualize the borders of the tumor, potentially resulting
in more complete tumor resection and thereby minimizing relapse.
Similar approaches have been utilized successfully in the resection
of other tumor types, such as breast cancer.
Bladder cancer is often treated with transurethral resection to
remove cancerous tissue; however, recurrence can occur in up to 78%
of patients within 5 years. Up to 40% of recurrent cases develop
muscle invasive disease, which has a poor prognosis and requires
complete removal of the bladder. Many patients with muscle-invasive
bladder cancer unfortunately go on to develop and succumb to
metastatic disease.
“This novel MNPR-101 based imaging agent has promising
utility in allowing surgeons to easily identify tumor margins
during surgery,” said Andrew Mazar, PhD, Chief Scientific
Officer of Monopar and a co-author of the publication. “Given
the specificity of uPAR expression in bladder cancer versus normal
bladder tissue, and its high expression at the border of the tumor,
we believe imaging uPAR using MNPR-101 targeting could improve
surgical outcomes and potentially reduce recurrence of the
disease.”
“If confirmed in a clinical setting, an imaging probe based
on MNPR-101 could result in a paradigm shift, altering how
urologists survey and treat bladder cancer,” said Cornelis
Sier, PhD, member of the Image-Guided Surgery group at Leiden
University Medical Center (LUMC), and the principal investigator on
the study.
About Monopar Therapeutics Inc.
Monopar Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company primarily focused on developing proprietary therapeutics
designed to extend life or improve the quality of life for cancer
patients. Monopar's pipeline consists
of Validive for the prevention of
chemoradiotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in oropharyngeal
cancer patients; camsirubicin for the treatment of
advanced soft tissue sarcoma; and a late-stage preclinical
antibody, MNPR-101, for advanced cancers and severe COVID-19. For
more information, visit: www.monopartx.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that
are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. The words “may,” “will,”
“could,” “would,” “should,”
“expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,”
“intend,” “believe,”
“estimate,” “predict,”
“project,” “potential,”
“continue,” “target” and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
although not all forward-looking statements contain these
identifying words. Examples of these forward-looking statements
include statements concerning the potential utility of MNPR-101 as
a uPAR imaging agent, whether a MNPR-101 based imaging agent could
improve surgical outcomes in bladder cancer and related matters.
The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties
including, but not limited to; the lack of any clinical activities
to date with respect to MNPR-101 and that preclinical development
activities to date have been focused on the treatment of cancers
and not medical devices; the requirement for additional capital to
complete preclinical and clinical development of a medical device
utilizing MNPR-101, and if successful, commercialization; if
funding is available, not being able to develop MNPR-101 for use as
a uPAR imaging agent in bladder cancer or any other indications;
not being able to ensure volumes of MNPR-101 conjugates can be
manufactured and scaled up to meet potential demand; uncertainties
about levels of demand if and when a medical device is available
for commercialization and the significant general risks and
uncertainties surrounding the research, development, regulatory
approval and commercialization of medical devices. Actual results
may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Risks are described more fully in
Monopar's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All
forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak
only as of the date on which they were made. Monopar undertakes no
obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur
or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.
Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release
represent Monopar’s views only as of the date hereof and
should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any
subsequent date.
CONTACT:
Monopar Therapeutics Inc:
Investor Relations
Kim R. Tsuchimoto
Chief Financial Officer
kimtsu@monopartx.com
Follow Monopar on social media for
updates:
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Therapeutics