The organizations began joint research activities in late 2019 based on strong evidence of the efficacy of LP-184 in certain solid tumors and antitumor activities in the presence of specific biomarkers. A proof-of-concept study demonstrated potency of the molecule across a wide variety of prostate cancer cell lines, particularly those that overexpress PTGR1, an upregulated gene in aggressive cancer tumors. In organoid cultures, LP-184 resulted in dose-dependent cell death in multiple patient-derived xenograft prostate cancer models.

The next phase of the collaboration will focus on a larger set of patient-derived xenograft models to help pinpoint the specific mechanism of action and validate the role of PTGR1 in driving DNA damage repair pathways in the specific cancers. Research will also include gathering detailed genomic information in prostate cancer, including developing animal models and cell lines that under- and overexpress key driver genes.

LP-184 was developed using Lantern's proprietary response algorithm for drug repositioning and rescue (RADR) artificial intelligence platform. The platform uses machine learning, genomics, and computational biology to accelerate the discovery of potential mechanisms of action and genomic and biomarker signatures that correlate to drug response in cancer patients.