Menu Close

Missouri Health Innovation Company Develops New Drug To Fight Cancer

  • October 18, 2017

BioMed Valley Discoveries (BVD), a health innovation company in Kansas City, Missouri, announced they have developed an innovative new drug that shows promise for battling several types of cancers. The drug, called Ulixertinib, has been tested on patients with metastatic melanoma, lung cancer and brain cancer.

The company recently completed early-stage clinical trials involving 135 patients with advanced solid tumor cancers, and several patients saw their tumors shrink significantly. The drug is scheduled for several additional trials, including one testing the drug’s efficacy in pancreatic cancer patients.

Ulixertinib works by acting on a cell-signaling pathway involved in regulating cell division and cell death. Mutations in that pathway, known as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, occur in about one-third of all cancers, meaning an effective treatment could have broad implications.

“Potentially, it could help many cancer patients,” said Kimberly Bland, head of science communications for BVD, adding that the drug still needed to be tested in late-stage clinical trials.

Missouri is home to some of the most prestigious hospitals, medical schools, and health companies in the world. 40 Missouri colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees or higher in biological or biomedical sciences.

The state is also home to the world’s first virtual care center, driven by the real-world expertise of our healthcare industry. Branded a “hospital without beds,” the Virtual Care Center provides remote support for intensive-care units, emergency rooms, physician’s offices, and even in patient’s homes.

For more information on Missouri’s health innovation industry, contact Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.725.2688 or via our contact form. He will answer any questions you might have, and explain how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion and investment needs.

What Next?