The Axiom-4 mission will be carrying ‘Rebecsinib‘, the first cancer drug with active US FDA ‘Investigational New Drug’ (IND) status to be tested in microgravity, marking a significant milestone in space-based pharmaceutical research.
Axiom said the experimental cancer treatment, developed by Aspera Biomedicines, targets ADAR1, a gene responsible for cancer cloning and immune evasion. Unlike previous space missions that tested research compounds, Ax-4 will carry a drug already approved for clinical trials on Earth.
“We anticipate that this monumental mission will inform the expanded development of the first ADAR1 inhibitory cancer stem cell targeting drug for a broad array of cancers,” said Dr Catriona Jamieson, director of the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute and founder of Aspera Biomedicines. Rebecsinib underwent evaluation during Axiom-2 & 3 missions.
Microgravity provides unique advantages for cancer research, with tumours growing approximately twice as fast in space. Dr Jamieson noted a doubling in growth of mini-tumours within just 10 days, effectively mimicking aggressive cancer progression in patients and enabling researchers to obtain more reliable scientific results in shorter time frames.
The mission aims to generate additional preclinical data for diverse tumour types using patient-derived tumour organoids. This accelerated testing environment allows researchers to identify better drug candidates with improved odds of success in patients, particularly those with faster disease progressions.
