Therapy areas

Isofol is developing a new treatment that has the potential to enhance the effect of chemotherapy, which is the standard treatment for several severe forms of cancer.

Cancer occurs when the body’s cells begin to divide uncontrollably and lose their normal function. Cancer cells carry damaged DNA, which causes them to stop cooperating, survive longer than they should, and proliferate beyond control. Cancer cells can form tumors that invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body to form metastases. Cancer is a collective name for around 200 diseases that can occur in almost all cell types, caused by a combination of genetic changes and external factors such as lifestyle or environmental influences.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or 1 in 6 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (from 2018). The most common types of cancer in men are lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

Isofol is initially focusing on developing the drug candidate arfolitixorin as a potential treatment for colorectal cancer, but the treatment could be combined with chemotherapy for other forms of cancer as well.