Little TNI Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:TNIB) just gave bigger immunology players like Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) or CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSEMKT:CVM) a new reason to worry. Though CVM and AMGN aren't exactly sweating bullets yet, TNIB has taken not a big step forward in terms biotechnological progress, but rather, has widened its net with a lateral expansion.
For those not familiar with it, TNI Biotech is a biotechnology developer with two core drugs in the works. One of them is low-dose naltrexone (or LDN), and the other is methionine-enkephalin (or MENK). Both are immunotherapies, designed to induce a strong, disease fighting response from a patient's own immune system rather than fight the disease directly. The idea isn't exactly new - that's what most vaccines do too. What's different about MENK and naltrexone is that they can create an immune response that's strong enough to fight diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS, and even some autoimmune diseases.
If the idea sounds too radical to be true, it isn't. The idea is being employed by several biotechnology developers, including the aforementioned CEL-SCI and Amgen; they each have such immunotherapies in the works. In fact, there's already one major cancer-fighting immunotherapy on the market.... Provenge, from Dendreon (NASDAQ:DNDN). Although Provenge has been something of a disappointment in terms of sales - possibly due to modest efficacy relative to a huge price tag - and DNDN shares have struggled for a while, the fact that there's such a drug on the market validates the entire premise; the fact that other key players like Amgen and CEL-SCI are working on their own cancer-immunology drugs is just icing on the cake.
Fast forward to today... well, yesterday, actually. That's when TNI Biotech Inc. announced it was partnering with a drug company in China to plant a seed in that huge market.
Specifically, TNIB is going to be working with Chinese drugmaker Hubei Qianjiang Pharmaceutical to begin trials of MENK in China, as a therapy for pancreatic cancer. Trials of MENK in that capacity are already underway in the United States, currently in Phase 2. But, some countries are picky about such testing, and require tests to be done in that particular country, especially if the drug is to be manufactured there. And, that's how it would be in the case of MENK - Hubei Qianjiang would be a licensee, making MENK in a facility in China. Regardless, TNIB will be able to help Hubei Qianjiang hit the ground running, by sharing everything it knows about MENK as a treatment for pancreatic cancer up until this point.
The reason TNI Biotech is going the partner route? It's simple.... it's easier to have a native (to that country) partner when overseas markets are eyed. TNIB is similarly partnering with a distributor in Africa to market naltrexone there, though regulators there weren't quite as stringent about the approval of LDN in that market.
Regardless of the details of how the company's products are marketed overseas, one thing is clear... TNI Biotech has had no problem at all finding foreign entities to partner with. That speaks volumes about the strength of its programs and pipeline.
You can visit the corporate website here.
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