iQ3Corp’s (ASX:IQ3) investee licensed for gold tech used in cancer therapy

• iQ3Corp (IQ3) investee OncoTEX is licensed for a gold compound platform technology designed to induce the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells
• The tech was developed by three universities in the United States
• iQ3Corp says the gold-based compounds represent a unique mechanism of immunotherapy that uses the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells
• The compounds will be rigorously tested by the University of Austin at Texas over the coming months
• Shares in iQ3Corp have surged 60 per cent higher to trade at 16 cents each

Oncology therapeutic company OncoTEX, in which iQ3Corp (IQ3) holds a 40.5 per cent stake, has secured licensing for a gold compound platform technology that induces the body’s immune system to destroy cancer cells.

The tech was developed by the University of at Texas at Austin, Georgia Southern University and Wright State University, and expands OncoTEX’s TEX Core oncology drug platform.

In a statement today, iQ3Corp said the new class of gold-based proprietary compounds represented a unique mechanism of immunotherapy action that attacked cancer cells using the human body’s own natural immune system.

More specifically, IQ3 said these compounds had the ability to enter cancer cells and fight them from the inside while disrupting tumours, making them visible to the human immune system.

In turn, the company said the disruption created a cascade, creating killer T-cells to destroy the remaining cancer.

OncoTEX CEO Dr Jonathan Aramula said the development was critically important, owing to its unique immunogenic cell death mechanism.

“Of more than 2000 known small molecule cancer therapeutics, very few have been validated to induce such a response,” Dr Aramula said.

“Of these, most only exhibit this as an auxiliary mechanism as opposed to the compound’s primary function. Our gold compound platform will allow us to design compounds that specifically target these mechanisms.”

Looking ahead, OncoTEX is set to commence a series of rigorous studies with the University of Texas at Austin to evaluate the new compounds over the coming months.

In this way, OncoTEX hopes to determine the full scale of their potential application in fighting cancers.

IQ3Corp Chairman and OncoTEX Executive Chairman George Syrmalis said the development was important for the wider modality of oncology.

“The compound introduces a novel mode of action, demonstrating tumor-specific immune responses and reinstating immunosurveillance,” Dr Syrmalis said.

“I speculate that this mode of action may emerge as a mainstream cancer treatment in the near future.”

Following the announcement, shares in iQ3Corp surged 60 per cent higher to trade at 16 cents each at 3:02 pm AEDT.