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Pharmacyte Biotech Inc (OTCMKTS:PMCB): The Future Is Bright

Pharmacyte Biotech Inc (OTCMKTS:PMCB): The Future Is Bright
Written by
Chris Sandburg
Published on
December 9, 2016
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Pharmacyte Biotech Inc (OTCMKTS:PMCB) is moving on high volume. The company is up 70% on its weekly open, and the gains come as Pharmactye edges towards enrolment in its pancreatic cancer trial. It's been one of most watched companies over the last six months or so, and we think there's plenty of run room left if the technology that underpins its lead asset lives up to its initial promise.This week, the company published a question and answer session with Dr. Matthias Löhr of the famed Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the first principal investigator of two previous trials investigating the drug and technology in question, and he's set to take the lead in the upcoming initiation. The session shone some light on his personal opinions towards the drug, and why it's so important to both the target pancreatic cancer population and the wider oncology space.A couple of key points from the discussion are worth highlighting, as they pertain to the company's chances of continued strength going forwards. Before we get in to them, however, let's quickly skim over the science that underpins the asset under investigation.The technology is called Cell in a Box, and it's core makeup is pretty much exactly how it sounds. The company puts an activation cell into a structure (the box) and injects it into the patient at or around the tumor site – in this instance, the pancreas. The activation cell is the same cell (an enzyme) that would normally activate a chemotherapy agent when it is administrated systemically. The difference is, in the current version of chemotherapy, the activator is in the liver. The chemo agent passes through the liver and activates, then heads on over to the tumor to do its stuff. It's effective (to a degree) but because of the liver pass (and the concentrations required to ensure there's enough active agent to tackle the tumor once it reaches the pancreas), it's extremely toxic, hence the side effects associated with chemotherapy. With Pharmacyte's treatment, because the activator is at the site of the tumor, the chemo agent doesn’t need to pass through the liver before it hits the tumor. This means only a fraction of the concentration of standard SOC chemo is required, and this dramatically reduces the side effects and toxicity.That's the theory, anyway.And the latest Q&A reinforces this theory, straight from the mouth of one of the leading minds in this space in the world. Here are our highlights.

"I consider Cell-in-a-Box as a platform technology"

This suggests that Löhr believes the technology can apply to a wide range of oncology indications, and that pancreatic cancer is just the start.

"The previously raised concerns relating to the consistent reproducibility of the micro-capsules have been met by Austrianova in the meantime."

There were some initial concerns regarding the lifetime efficacy of the activator cells. The ideal set up (and the one being used in the upcoming trial) dictates that patients receive numerous chemotherapy infusions after the Cell in a Box is in place. As Löhr confirms here, studies have shown that the capsules are robust for at least two years, meaning they will convert the chemo agent throughout the life of the patient.

"When we treated the first patients, they did not believe that they were receiving chemotherapy because there were NO side effects at all in the initial trial"

This demonstrates the key advantage of this system over liver pass activation. Side effects were that low that patients didn’t feel like they were receiving chemotherapy, while data showed that the low dose administration had a meaningful clinical impact on their tumors.So what's next?This one has had a bit of an embattled past (capital issues, dilution, that sort of thing) and it's been a pretty rough road for shareholders to get to this point. However, we believe that the company is now at an inflection point, with funding in place, and that there's worth only in looking forward from here on out. Further we believe that this forward view is very promising. We're looking to the IND meeting and its outcome as a major catalyst, and beyond that, the initiation of the trial and the resulting data.We will be updating our subscribers as soon as we know more. For the latest updates on PMCB, sign up below!Disclosure: We have no position in PMCB and have not been compensated for this article.

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