Founded in September 2006

Therapies targeting developmental proteins involved in the progression of melanoma and other cancers.

MelCure SarL develops novel therapeutics against cancer by targeting receptors essential in promoting cellular growth during embryonic and cancer development.
Metastatic melanoma is a cancer with few therapeutic options and none that prolongs survival. Over the last 30 years the melanoma rate of incidence increased by 83% and it is estimated that over 60,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease in 2006.

MelCure’s therapeutic approach targets a receptor (ETRB), essential for expansion of human melanocytes during embryonic development, which has a similar role during melanoma progression. ETRB is over-expressed in human metastatic melanomas; it is a progression marker and plays an essential role in the advancement of the disease in animal models.

The drug used by MelCure, an ETRB inhibitor, specifically inhibits over activation of ETRB. The ETRB inhibitor is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an Investigational New Drug for non-cancer applications and was tested in humans without toxic side effects.

MelCure owns exclusive rights on the Intellectual Property (IP) for identifying ETRB as a target for cancer therapy. MelCure’s IP is derived from Dr. Ronit Lahav’s research at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). Together with Dr. Johannes le Coutre, a biophysicist trained at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), they are co founders of the company.

MelCure is supported by The innovation promotion agency CTI in management coaching and by the life science incubator Eclosion in providing funding, facilities, legal council and management. The clinical trials are guided by leading medical professors in the fields of Dermatology and Melanoma.