Profile: Endocyte Inc (ECYT.OQ)
18.80USD
1 Aug 2013
$0.83 (+4.62%)
$17.97
$18.12
$18.86
$18.03
94,419
77,789
$18.86
$7.50
Endocyte, Inc. (Endocyte), incorporated on December 6, 1995, is a biopharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Endocyte uses its technology to create small molecule drug conjugates (SMDCs), and companion imaging diagnostics. Its SMDCs target receptors that are over-expressed on diseased cells, primarily to healthy cells. The Company’s SMDCs consists of three modules: a targeting ligand, a linker and a drug payload. The foundation of its technology is its small molecule targeting ligands, which bind to over-expressed receptors on target cells, while avoiding healthy cells. It is developing a number of different targeting ligands for a range of cancers and inflammatory diseases. Its linker system attaches the targeting ligand to the drug payload. The drug payload is the biologically active component of its SMDCs.
Endocyte is also developing companion imaging diagnostics for each of its SMDCs that are designed to identify the patients whose disease over-expresses the target of the therapy. Endocyte’s core SMDC, EC145, targets the folate receptor, which is over-expressed in the solid tumor indications, including ovarian, non-small cell lung, breast, colorectal, kidney, endometrial and other cancers. Its technology platform has enabled it to develop new SMDCs and companion imaging diagnostics for a range of disease indications, focusing oncology and inflammatory diseases. The Company identifies the presence of the folate receptor in cancer patients by using EC20. It has chosen platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), which is a treatment-resistant disease, for development of EC145. Endocyte is also developing EC145 for use in non-small cell lung cancer, where it has completed a phase 2 single-arm clinical trial in pre-treated patients.
EC145 and Advanced Clinical Trials
The Company’s lead SMDC candidate, EC145, consists of a cytotoxic anti-cancer drug, DAVLBH, joined by a linker system to the targeting ligand and folate. DAVLBH is a member of anti-cancer drugs that destabilize microtubules within the cell. These folate receptors on cancer cells bind with EC145 and bring it inside the cell through a process, endocytosis. Once EC145 is inside the cell, the linker system is cleaved, releasing the active drug payload within the cancer cell. It has completed final final progression free survival (PFS) analysis for PRECEDENT, which is its phase 2 clinical trial of EC145 in 149 women with PROC. PRECEDENT is a trial in which patients receive EC145 in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). Its second indication for EC145 is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
EC20 and Companion Imaging Diagnostics
To create a companion imaging diagnostic targeting the same diseased cells as the SMDC, the Company replaces the drug payload with a radioisotope imaging agent. The companion imaging diagnostic allows full-body assessment of the receptor target. EC20 is the companion imaging diagnostic for all of its SMDCs that target the folate receptor. EC20 is a conjugate of the targeting ligand, folate and the radioisotope imaging agent, and technetium-99m.
Other Pipeline Programs
Endocyte is developing other SMDCs and companion imaging diagnostics, which include EC0746, EC0489, EC0225, EC17 and EC0652. In EC17, the Company incorporates hapten as the drug payload, which can elicit an immunologic response from the host immune system in order to facilitate tumor-cell killing. In EC0652, it replaces the folate receptor ligand with a ligand that binds to prostate membrane antigen (PSMA). It has also developed macrophages, which is a type of white blood cell found at sites of acute and chronic inflammation, and over-express the folate receptor. Activated macrophages release a variety of mediators of inflammation that contribute to a range of diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis.
The Company competes with Roche Holdings, Eisai Company, Nektar Therapeutics, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis and Eli Lilly.
Company Address
Endocyte Inc
Suite A1-100
3000 Kent Avenue
WEST LAFAYETTE IN 47906
P: +1765.4637175
F: +1765.4639271
Company Web Links
| Name | Compensation |
|---|---|
John Aplin |
-- |
P. Ron Ellis |
1,648,800 |
Michael Sherman |
740,528 |
Philip Low |
496,005 |
Scot Harper |
-- |

