AntiCancer Technologies Inc., Science Tokyo Venture, selected as National Cancer Institute Support Program

AntiCancer Technologies Inc. (ACT), a startup originating from Institute of Science Tokyo, is pleased to announce its selection as a recipient of support under the " National Cancer Center Seed Acceleration Program (NCC SAP)" organized by the National Cancer Center’s Division of Bridge Research. This program aims to foster a uniquely Japanese startup ecosystem, and ACT has been selected for the top-tier support category, "S2 Type," which provides funding of 300 million yen over two years.

ACT, one of Science Tokyo Venture, was founded in September 2023. It is headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, and its CEO is Teruyasu Nishino.
ACT based on the research of Distinguished Professor Keiichi Nakayama, at the Advanced Research Initiative, Institute of Integrated Research.
The company is dedicated to developing novel anti-tumor drugs with both high efficacy and low toxicity, targeting intractable cancers such as small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. ACT’s seed compound, “ACT-001,” has been selected for support by the NCC SAP.

Currently, treatment options for small cell lung cancer are limited primarily to platinum-based chemotherapies such as cisplatin. However, these treatments face significant challenges due to severe toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance, often rendering them ineffective. ACT-001 is a small-molecule compound that targets the metabolic enzyme PPAT, which is highly expressed in cancer cells. In mouse models, ACT-001 has demonstrated superior tumor targeting and cytotoxic effects compared to cisplatin, while exhibiting remarkably low toxicity. It has also shown efficacy against cisplatin-resistant cancers, making it a highly promising compound.
Furthermore, ACT-001 has shown strong anti-tumor activity against pancreatic cancer as well. Through its selection for the NCC SAP program, ACT will proceed with formulation development and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing in preparation for GLP-compliant non-clinical toxicity studies (GLP-tox) and a Phase I clinical trial (P1). The ultimate goal is to bring ACT-001 into practical use as a new therapeutic option for intractable cancers, including small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.

• AntiCancer Technologies Inc. (Japanese)

• Institute of Integrated Research
• Science Tokyo Ventures

• National Cancer Center Seed Acceleration Program (NCC SAP) (Japanese)
• National Cancer Center’s Division of Bridge Research (Japanese)