Oncotelic Therapeutics Publishes Biomarker Study in International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: OTLC), in collaboration with the Brush and Key Foundation, announced the publication of a peer-reviewed research article in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences titled "Comparative Tumor Microenvironment Analysis for HCC and PDAC Using KMplotter." The study analyzes the prognostic significance of biomarkers DNMT3A and GMPS across hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), drawing on survival, transcriptomic, and tumor microenvironment data from more than 7,000 patients.

The research demonstrates that biomarker relevance is highly context-dependent, shaped by immune composition, metabolic reprogramming, and innate immune signaling pathways. This finding has significant implications for precision oncology, suggesting that biomarker interpretation must consider the specific tumor microenvironment rather than relying on universal prognostic values. The study also highlights the role of structured mentorship in advancing translational oncology research, emphasizing the collaborative nature of scientific discovery.

Oncotelic Therapeutics, which changed its name from Mateon Therapeutics, Inc. in November 2020, is seeking to leverage its deep expertise in oncology drug development to improve treatment outcomes and survival of cancer patients with a special emphasis on rare pediatric cancers. The company has rare pediatric designation for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) through OT-101, melanoma through CA4P, and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) through OXi 4503. Oncotelic also acquired PointR Data Inc. in November 2019 and AL-101 during the fourth quarter of 2021 for the intranasal delivery of apomorphine.

The company intends to develop AL-101 for the treatment of Parkinson Disease (PD), with over 60,000 new patients diagnosed annually in the United States and more than 1 million current patients expected to increase to over 1.2 million by 2030. According to statistics from https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Statistics, approximately 10 million people suffer from this disease globally. AL-101 is also being developed for Erectile Dysfunction (ED), which affects 14.3-70% of men aged 60 years, 6.7-48% of men aged 70 years, and 38% of men aged 80 years according to research published in European Urology Focus.

With approximately 30-35% of ED patients failing to respond to PDE5 inhibitors according to BMJ research, AL-101 is designed to target treatment failure ED patients. Through similar mechanism of action, AL-101 is being developed for Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD), which afflicts approximately 40% of women with few treatment options available. The only FDA-approved drug for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women has significant limitations including drug-drug interactions and a black box warning regarding alcohol use, creating an urgent need for effective FSD and HSDD therapies.

The publication of this biomarker study represents an important contribution to cancer research methodology while aligning with Oncotelic's broader mission to advance therapeutic development across multiple disease areas. The research methodology, which analyzed data from thousands of patients, provides a robust framework for future biomarker studies in oncology. The findings about context-dependent biomarker significance may influence how researchers design clinical trials and interpret biomarker data in both common and rare cancers.