Molecure S.A. announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I trial evaluating OATD-02 as a monotherapy in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors. The Phase I trial is an open-label, multi-center, first in human, dose escalation study to evaluate safety, tolerability, anti-cancer activity and to establish the maximum tolerated dose of OATD-02. The study is being conducted at three sites in Poland and will enroll a maximum of 40 patients with selected advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors including colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer or renal cell carcinoma.

OATD-02 is being developed by Molecure as a potential new therapeutic for a range of solid tumors. It is the first and only dual acting, highly potent arginase inhibitor in development for the treatment of cancer, involved in both tumor immunity and metabolism. Arginase 1 (ARG1) and Arginase 2 (ARG2) are validated targets that have been found on a variety of tumor types where their increased activity correlates with more advanced disease and worse clinical prognosis due to diminished arginine levels.