Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLMD) announced a research collaboration with Ramot at Tel Aviv University to evaluate its drug Aramchol as a treatment for metastatic brain cancer.

The collaboration will combine research from Tel Aviv University's Ben-David Lab and Satchi-Fainaro Lab to test Aramchol's effectiveness against brain metastases that lack the p53 protein. Recent research published by the university identified a connection between p53 inactivation and increased SCD1 enzyme levels, which appears essential for brain-metastasizing cancer cells to proliferate.

Aramchol works by inhibiting SCD1, an enzyme that converts saturated fatty acids into monounsaturated fatty acids. The enzyme plays a role in lipid synthesis and membrane production in proliferating cancer cells. Galmed previously announced work to make Aramchol brain-penetrant, potentially positioning it as a treatment for central nervous system diseases.

Brain metastasis affects cancer patients with poor prognosis, with overall 2-year survival rates below 10% despite current treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

"The findings that p53 inactivation drives metastasis to the brain through SCD1 upregulation and increased fatty acid metabolism open up a promising and innovative therapeutic option for Aramchol in metastatic cancers," said Allen Baharaff, Galmed's co-founder and CEO.

The research findings would also support Galmed's clinical work at Virginia Commonwealth University's Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center in colorectal cancers, where p53 mutations are prevalent.

Galmed is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on liver disease and gastrointestinal oncological therapeutics. The company has primarily developed Aramchol for liver disease treatment and is now exploring oncological applications.