Reven Holdings Announces the Launch of Its Translational Oncology Program

Targeting Tumor Microenvironment to Improve Treatment Outcomes in Cancer

Reven Holdings, Inc. (“Reven”) is a privately held clinical stage biotechnology and pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel treatment platforms for cancer, viral illnesses, including COVID-19 - and inflammatory disorders.

Reven has launched its translational oncology program as a new drug discovery and development initiative that is aimed at changing the therapeutic landscape for difficult-to-treat forms of cancer. The overarching goal of this program is to treat cancer patients more effectively by altering the immediate surroundings of their tumor tissue, also known as the tumor microenvironment (TME). That is because TME is a key contributor to disease progression and metastasis. Several cells in the TME prevent patient’s immune system elements from mounting a strong immune response against cancer cells. Reven Pharmaceuticals is committed to developing new strategies aimed at overcoming the immunosuppressive TME. Specifically, Reven will employ its lead compound RJX for targeting the TGF-beta signaling in cancer patients. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta can limit the T-cell infiltration to the TME and inhibits T-cells as well as NK-cells with leads to a markedly diminished anti-tumor immune response within the TME. In addition to the TGF pathway, The SYK-PI3K-AKT signaling pathway is also critical for the survival of cancer cells. Reven Pharmaceuticals will explore new generation inhibitors of this biochemical signaling pathway as a new class of anti-cancer drugs.

Another oncology platform being explored by Reven Pharmaceuticals targets the so-called “Lactate Shuttle” in the TME. Cancer cells specifically use lactate to mediate several environment changes that support tumor growth and stimulate more lactate production. Targeting the “lactate shuttle” by facilitating lactate clearance may eliminate the contribution of lactate to the immunosuppressive TME in cancer patients. It is noteworthy that ingredients of Reven’s anti-inflammatory, investigational drug product RJX have been shown to facilitate lactate clearance.

Dr. Fatih Uckun, the Chief Medical Officer of Reven Pharmaceuticals reviews the proof of concept and clinical impact potential of such innovative strategies aimed at the TME in cancer patients with multiple myeloma in a recent article that was published in the prestigious peer-reviewed high-impact biomedical journal Cancers. The article was published on April 22, 2021: