Oncological Lesions Healing Project (Gel with Crajiru - Arrabidaea chica)

• Grant number: 23/11538-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Elaine Cristina de Moraes
• Grantee: Elaine Cristina de Moraes
• Company: Wecare Desenvolvimento e Comércio de Medicamentos e Cosméticos Ltda
• CNAE: Comércio varejista de produtos farmacêuticos para uso humano e veterinário ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais ; Atividades de atenção à saúde humana não especificadas anteriormente
• Associated research grant: 20/12768-4 - Mucosite project (mucoaderent oral gel with crajiru - Arrabidaea chica), AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/09086-0 - Oncological Lesions Healing Project (Gel with Crajiru - Arrabidaea chica), BP.TT; 24/09065-2 - Oncological lesions healing project (gel with crajiru - Arrabidaea chica), BP.PIPE

Abstract

Wecare has developed a stable formulation in Pipe Phase 1 - mucoadherent gel with crude extract of Arrabidaea chica, to be kept at room temperature. New tests are being proposed in Phase 2 to improve the developed formulation. These researches/formulations will be subject to a patent application. Because it is a natural product with actives from Brazilian biodiversity and, according to the Guidelines for Examining Patent Applications in the Area of Biotechnology - item 4 - matters excluded from protection under LPI - 4.2.1.1.2 Extracts. So, the protection strategy will be for the mucoadherent formulation and microencapsulated extract stable at room temperature and for the indication of use for cancer patients. Cancer is the main public health problem in the world with an estimated 704,000 new cases of the disease in Brazil for each year from 2023 to 2025, according to the National Cancer Institute (INCA) of the Ministry of Health, with emphasis on the regions South and Southeast, which concentrate about 70% of the incidence (Santos et al., 2023; Sung et al., 2021; Ferlay et al., 2021). According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015, cancer was among the leading causes of death before the age of 70 in 91 of 172 countries, and ranked third or fourth in 22 additional countries (Bray et al. 2018). An article published in 2021 by ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology), entitled, Dermatologic Adverse Events of Systemic Anticancer Therapies: Cytotoxic Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy showed that 100% of patients undergoing traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy will develop some skin reaction, as well as 91% of patients on targeted therapy and 62% of patients on immunotherapy, demonstrating that these effects are quite common in this profile of patients. Arrabidaea chica (crajiru) is a plant rich in phenolic compounds and anthocyanins with potent anti-inflammatory and healing action (by increasing fibroblasts). This technology will complement and enhance the current product portfolio with the aim of accelerating the healing of chemotherapy and radiotherapy lesions on the skin and oral mucosa. (AU)