PrevOnco

**PrevOnco** is a proprietary formulation of **lansoprazole**, a proton pump inhibitor originally marketed as an anti-ulcer drug (e.g., Prevacid), repurposed by Apricus Biosciences for oncology using their **NexACT** drug delivery technology to enhance anti-cancer efficacy and potentially reduce dosing. It demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition in hepG2 xenografts and synergistic effects with doxorubicin, while maintaining a safety profile established from 15 years of ulcer treatment data. Granted **Orphan Drug** status by the FDA in 2008 for HCC, PrevOnco was advanced to a proposed **Phase 3** registration trial (filed ~2010 under Special Protocol Assessment) in advanced, unresectable HCC patients failing **Nexavar** (sorafenib), combining it with **Nexavar** and doxorubicin versus placebo; the company also explored an optimized oral lansoprazole variant via NexACT to lower human doses based on primate PK data.[1][4][7][12]

Brand names

PrevOnco