Iran produces next-generation targeted cancer drug

Ali Aghajani, the company’s business development manager, said the firm has focused on advanced drug-delivery technologies since 2011, when it began developing novel drug delivery systems (NDDS).

He noted that developing the company’s first drug took approximately five years, highlighting the complexity and high level of technology required in this field.

Aghajani identified the company’s first product as “Pakli-Nab,” an albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel used in the treatment of breast and pancreatic cancers. He explained that the drug uses albumin-binding technology to form nanoparticles that are selectively directed toward cancerous tissue.

This targeted drug-delivery approach significantly reduces the side effects associated with chemotherapy, allowing patients to better tolerate treatment while improving their quality of life and that of their families, he said.

Aghajani added that the product was manufactured by the Iranian company after the original developer, and said that the successful acquisition of the technology paved the way for the development of other advanced drug-delivery technologies.

He described antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as among the company’s most advanced technologies. In this approach, antibodies are designed to specifically recognize receptors on cancer cells and deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to those cells. This allows the therapeutic effect to be concentrated on cancerous tissue while reducing damage to healthy cells.

Aghajani said the global approach to cancer treatment has shifted over the past several years from conventional, non-targeted chemotherapy toward targeted therapies. Such treatments can not only extend patients’ survival, he said, but also significantly reduce adverse effects and improve quality of life.

He said “Padinex,” described as Iran’s first antibody-drug conjugate, has helped meet patients’ treatment needs while also creating opportunities for the company to expand its exports.

The company has also succeeded in producing a next-generation ADC called “Tedrox,” Aghajani said. The drug is used to treat breast cancer as well as certain gastrointestinal cancers, including stomach cancer.

He added that the product was localized in Iran only a short time after the first version had been developed by a British-Japanese company, and that it offers greater efficacy than earlier generations of such drugs, including Padinex.

According to Aghajani, studies have shown that the drug can significantly extend patients’ survival compared with older generations of chemotherapy treatments.