Pascal Biosciences Inc. (TSXV:PAS) discovered certain cannabinoids that enhance the immunogenicity of tumor cells, making them more easily recognizable by the immune system
SmallCapPower | February 23, 2018: Pascal Biosciences Inc. (TSXV:PAS), a drug development company focused on harnessing immune system to fight cancer, announced Wednesday that it has discovered certain cannabinoids that enhance the immunogenicity of tumor cells, making them more easily recognizable by the immune system. Although cannabinoids continue to demonstrate effectiveness for the treatment of cancer symptoms, including nausea, appetite enhancement, and pain management, Pascal Biosciences believes it is the first company to identify a mechanism in which cannabinoids may provide a direct benefit in immunotherapy. The discovery is also important to find drugs that will enhance the activity of newly-approved drugs known as ‘checkpoint inhibitors’ that activate the immune system to kill tumor cells. Following the announcement, shares of Pascal Biosciences shot up 260% to close at $0.72 on Wednesday, but gave some of these gains back the following day, falling 35% to $0.47 on Thursday.
The discovery was led by Dr. Jefferies, the scientific founder of Pascal Biosciences, who along with his team screened thousands of natural products and subsequently identified certain cannabinoid molecules, which have the greatest potency to increase immune recognition of tumor cells.
Dr. Patrick Gray, CEO of Pascal Biosciences, commented “We are very excited about this novel discovery. Cannabinoids typically have good pharmacological properties, as most have low toxicity and are easily absorbed into the blood, which are great advantages for drug development. In combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, cannabinoids may significantly improve cancer care. We look forward to soon translating our results into clinical studies.”
Formerly known as bioMmune Technologies Inc., the Company established Pascal Biosciences (US), Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary in Seattle, Washington on March 27, 2017, and subsequently changed its name to Pascal Biosciences Inc. on March 30, 2017. Pascal Biosciences is currently focused on three key technologies that enhance the immune system. These comprise utilizing proprietary screening systems for identifying novel compounds to restore immune recognition and killing of cancer cells; exploiting the regulation of specific calcium channels expressed by cells of the immune system; and developing a therapeutic monoclonal antibody for B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pascal Biosciences currently has a market cap of $19.5 million and trades on the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSXV).
Disclosure: Neither the author nor his family own shares in the company mentioned above.
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