Moleculin's Annamycin shows promise in pancreatic cancer preclinical study
Moleculin Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: MBRX) presented preclinical data at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026 showing its drug candidate Annamycin extended median survival by more than 60% in metastatic pancreatic cancer models compared to control groups.
The study demonstrated that liposomal Annamycin produced significant tumor growth inhibition across multiple pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma models, with median survival extending to 29 days versus 18 days in control groups. Pharmacokinetic analyses showed higher accumulation of Annamycin in pancreatic tissue and tumors compared to doxorubicin.
The treatment induced infiltration of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, suggesting potential immune activation effects. Annamycin continued to show absence of cardiotoxicity, which the company notes as a limitation of conventional anthracyclines like doxorubicin.
"We are highly encouraged by these results, which demonstrate compelling anti-tumor activity in pancreatic cancer models," said Walter Klemp, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Moleculin.
Moleculin is currently evaluating Annamycin in combination with cytarabine in its Phase 2B/3 MIRACLE trial for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The global study is being conducted across the United States, Europe, and other international sites.
The company described Annamycin as a non-cardiotoxic anthracycline designed to avoid multidrug resistance mechanisms. Moleculin is a Phase 3 clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing treatments for hard-to-treat tumors and viruses.
