Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: GLMD) released pre-clinical data showing that its drug Aramchol, combined with enzalutamide (sold as Xtandi), produced a 3–4-fold increase in cell death compared with enzalutamide alone in a prostate cancer cell line model.

The study used the VCaP prostate cancer cell line, which features high expression of wild-type androgen receptors, the AR-V7 splice variant, and the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion, derived from a vertebral metastasis of a 59-year-old patient with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. According to the company's statement, the combined effect strengthened the longer both drugs were administered.

Aramchol is described as an SCD1 inhibitor. The company said prostate cancer tumors can adapt to enzalutamide by altering lipid metabolism, and that combining an androgen receptor blocker with an SCD1 inhibitor may block lipid synthesis and desaturation, potentially reducing cell viability and delaying drug resistance.

Galmed said it has submitted a patent application for the combination and plans to initiate discussions with potential partners. The company noted that the main composition of matter patents for enzalutamide expire in 2026 in Europe and 2027 in the United States, with a U.S. price reduction scheduled to begin in 2027. Xtandi is marketed by Astellas Pharma and Pfizer, with global sales of approximately $8 billion in 2024 and $6 billion in 2025.

Galmed previously reported that Aramchol showed synergistic interaction with docetaxel across multiple tumor types, including prostate cancer cells. The company said those earlier results also support evaluation of Aramchol in combination with approved prostate cancer therapies.

The reported findings are based on pre-clinical data. The information is drawn from a press release issued by Galmed Pharmaceuticals.