Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin Shares Clinical Insights on Cerebraca® Wafer at the Cross-Strait Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Symposium
Date: June 19, 2024
Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin and Dr. Tsung-JungHo share numerous case studies on integrated precision Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies at the keynote forum (Image credit: Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital).
Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin, Director of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, attended the Cross-Strait Traditional Chinese Medicine Development and Cooperation Symposium held in Xiamen on June 14. In addition to delivering a speech at the opening ceremony, Dr. Lin, along with Vice President Tsung-Jung Ho, shared the results of cross-team collaboration in integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine to treat cancer, rare diseases, and brain injuries such as stroke during the keynote forum. Dr. Lin also shared his experiences and results from the Phase IIa clinical trial of the new drug Cerebraca® Wafer, aimed at combating malignant glioblastoma.
Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin, dedicated to promoting integrated Chinese and Western medicine and herbal research, was honored with the first Excellence Contribution Award of the Jade Steps Award by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2021. In April of this year, he was further recognized with the “Outstanding Contribution Award in Integrative Medicine” by the Chairman of the China Medical Research and Development Foundation and Academia Sinica Academician Jaung-Geng Lin, and was appointed as the Foundation’s chief consultant. On the 14th, Dr. Lin represented Chairman Jaung-Geng Lin, together with Vice President Tsung-Jung Ho, to participate in the 2024 Cross-Strait Traditional Chinese Medicine Development and Cooperation Symposium.
Dr. Lin also mentioned that Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, under the support of founder Master Cheng Yen, has long been promoting the integration of Chinese and Western medicine and herbal research. He emphasized the importance of precise integration of Chinese and Western treatments for cancer, rare diseases, and various degenerative diseases, particularly in treating brain injury patients such as those suffering from stroke. The use of G-CSF stem cell therapy, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and rehabilitation in integrative medicine has helped many patients “wake up and walk.”
Regarding the research on new drugs against malignant glioblastoma, Dr. Lin pointed out that over a decade ago, the research team discovered that compounds extracted from Angelica sinensis could treat cancer. Subsequent synthesis of a single small molecule with multi-target activity led to the development of the Cerebraca® Wafer. This product uses a sustained-release tablet to locally release the small molecule drug at the tumor site. Currently, Everfront Biotech has completed the Phase IIa clinical trial of Cerebraca® Wafer.
News source: https://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/chi/374265
Product Highlights of Cerebraca® Wafer:
Everfront Biotech’s innovative new drug, Cerebraca® Wafer, is a precision medicine sustained-release wafer that revolutionizes the treatment of malignant brain cancer. Through multiple patented novel features, Cerebraca® Wafer has successfully addressed the challenges of treating malignant brain cancer, which is difficult to manage and prone to relapse. Chemotherapy gradually loses its effectiveness against brain cancer cells due to their drug resistance, and the high proportion of cancer stem cells further exacerbates the problem of cancer recurrence and treatment resistance. However, these issues can be addressed by the pharmacological mechanism of action of Cerebraca® Wafer. In addition, malignant brain cancer cells express PD-L1, which renders the immune system unable to kill cancer cells. The successful development of Cerebraca® Wafer has also addressed this issue. In Phase I clinical trials, Cerebraca® Wafer has demonstrated efficacy without any drug-related adverse reactions. The median or average cumulative survival of relapsed malignant brain cancer patients has reached 25-26 months, which is significantly better than existing strategies such as Gliadel® wafer implantation (6.4 months), Temodal capsules (5.8 months), or Avastin injection (9.4 months). Cerebraca® Wafer has been approved by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Human Research Ethics Committee of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for compassionate use trials. For malignant brain cancer patients who cannot undergo surgery and have tumors growing at the cervical spine, implanting Cerebraca® Wafer through a small incision has resulted in tumor shrinkage. In addition, combining Cerebraca® Wafer with cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) for treatment can achieve a recurrence-free survival period of more than 40 months. With its outstanding clinical results, Everfront Biotech Inc. is actively seeking partners to jointly develop this new drug and help more malignant brain cancer patients.
Introduction to Everfront Biotech Inc.:
Everfront Biotech Inc. targets unmet medical needs by developing orphan drugs to treat some of the world’s most lethal diseases. Founded in 2010, the company focuses on the research and development of new drugs, emphasizing the screening of potential small molecules and advancing them to clinical trials. From initial product development to preclinical research, chemical manufacturing and control, new drug clinical trial applications, clinical trial planning, and execution, all these tasks are led by the company’s dedicated team.
Currently, Everfront has three clinical trials approved in the United States and Taiwan, including Cerebraca® Wafer (for malignant brain tumors), HK-001 (for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and EF-009 (for pancreatic cancer).
Everfront Biotech actively aligns with national new drug development policies. Both Cerebraca® Wafer and HK-001 have received biotech new drug certification. The company also actively participates in national projects, with three special projects and one SBIR project receiving funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
