Amsterdam UMC, Erasmus MC, the Foundation for Life with Pancreatic Cancer, the RARE-NL Foundation and Orfenix have jointly launched Pepper Therapeutics B.V. This new company has a clear social mission: to develop the diabetes drug phenformin as a promising therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Socially driven innovation

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, causing approximately 466,000 deaths each year. In Europe, around 132,000 people die annually from the disease, including 3,150 patients in the Netherlands. Existing treatments still offer limited survival prospects: only 5% of patients are alive five years after diagnosis.

Pepper Therapeutics B.V. sees potential in the use of phenformin, a biguanide. Its better-known counterpart, metformin, which is widely used to treat diabetes, has been studied previously in pancreatic cancer but showed limited effectiveness. Recent preclinical research indicates that phenformin penetrates tumours more effectively than metformin, making it a more promising candidate.

Professor Hanneke Wilmink, medical oncologist at Amsterdam UMC – Cancer Center Amsterdam, explains: “Biguanides such as metformin influence tumour metabolism and the immune system, but they do not reach sufficiently high concentrations within the tumour. Phenformin has different properties and penetrates the tumour more effectively. With Pepper Therapeutics B.V., we aim to translate this promise into clinical studies and an affordable treatment.”

Professor Casper van Eijck, emeritus professor of surgery at Erasmus MC, adds: “Clinical practice shows just how few options are available for patients with pancreatic cancer. The Dutch study must demonstrate that phenformin can be safely combined with standard chemotherapy and offers a foundation for further research.”

Phased development and social mission

Development will proceed step by step. In the first phase, the active substance and capsules will be redeveloped and manufactured in accordance with modern Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. This will be followed by a Dutch phase I/II clinical trial in multiple hospitals. If results are favourable, an international, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial will follow, involving 250–300 patients in Europe and potentially the United States.

“From day one, it has been established that we operate under a social mandate,” says Vincent van der Wel, Director of Pepper Therapeutics B.V. “We combine a solid business case with Socially Responsible Licensing and a cost-based pricing model with a modest margin. This allows us to invest in development while ensuring that any new treatment for pancreatic cancer remains affordable for patients and healthcare systems.”

About Pepper Therapeutics B.V.

Pepper Therapeutics B.V. was founded by Amsterdam UMC, Erasmus MC, the Foundation for Life with Pancreatic Cancer (better known under the campaign name Support Casper), the RARE-NL Foundation—a national collaboration of Dutch university medical centres focused on socially responsible drug development—and Orfenix. The company focuses exclusively on the redevelopment of phenformin as a new treatment for pancreatic cancer, with affordability, social responsibility and broad accessibility as its core values.

For more information and/or questions, please contact:
Vincent van der Wel
Director, Pepper Therapeutics B.V.
vincent@orfenix.com