Prof. Ofra Benny, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Prof. Ori Wald, Hadassah Medical Center

Application:          

  • Malignant pleural effusion is a frequent and debilitating complication of advanced cancer. Current treatment is largely palliative and relies on repeated drainage, pleurodesis or indwelling pleural catheters to relieve symptoms and reduce fluid accumulation. These procedures do not directly control pleural tumor biology, and recurrence, repeated interventions and catheter-related complications remain common.
  • There is a need for a local therapy that can act directly within the pleural cavity, provide sustained antitumor activity and complement existing systemic treatments without substantially increasing systemic toxicity.

Our Innovation

  • A sustained-release intrapleural formulation of a selected epigenetic and immune-modulating agent encapsulated in biodegradable particles.
  • The formulation is designed to remain within the pleural cavity and provide prolonged local drug exposure. By acting directly within the pleural tumor microenvironment, the therapy is intended to increase tumor immunogenicity, reduce immune resistance and enhance responsiveness to systemic immunotherapy and chemotherapy while limiting systemic exposure.
  • Preliminary studies support the feasibility of producing a reproducible particle-based formulation and demonstrate promising antitumor and combination activity in preclinical pleural cancer models.

Advantages

  • Sustained and localized exposure within the pleural cavity.
  • Targets pleural tumor biology rather than fluid accumulation alone.
  • Designed to remodel the local tumor immune microenvironment.
  • May enhance response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
  • Potential to reduce systemic exposure and toxicity.
  • Biodegradable delivery platform with tunable release properties.
  • Compatible with catheter-based or intrapleural administration.

Commercial Opportunity

  • This technology offers a highly differentiated locoregional treatment approach for malignant pleural effusion and pleural tumor involvement. By combining sustained intrapleural delivery with an epigenetic and immune-sensitizing payload, it will improve local disease control and enhance the activity of systemic immunotherapy or chemotherapy while limiting systemic exposure.
  • The opportunity is particularly relevant to companies developing therapies for pleural malignancies, malignant pleural effusion, mesothelioma, thoracic oncology, immune-checkpoint combinations, epigenetic therapies and sustained-release drug-delivery systems.
  • We are seeking pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners with a strategic interest in pleural cancer or locoregional oncology to support formulation optimization, preclinical validation and clinical developmentÂ