necuparanib

Necuparanib is a rationally engineered, low molecular weight, non-anticoagulant heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HSGAG) mimetic derived from unfractionated heparin. It is designed to retain the antitumor properties of heparin while minimizing anticoagulant activity. Necuparanib acts as a multitargeting agent that modulates and inhibits several pathways involved in tumor progression, including angiogenesis (by targeting factors such as VEGF and FGF2), stromal interactions, immune modulation, and metastasis (via inhibition of molecules like P-selectin and heparanase). The drug was primarily developed for use in combination with chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Clinical trials demonstrated promising disease control rates but ultimately did not show significant improvement over standard therapy. Necuparanib received orphan drug designation for pancreatic cancer but its development has been discontinued[1][3][4][6][7].

Other names

heparan sulfate mimetic