Many complex diseases, such as cancer, involve cellular growth abnormalities regulated by the endocrine system. Based upon proprietary insight into the complexities of the endocrine system, Tokai is building a pipeline of therapeutics focusing initially on castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).
Tokai's lead drug candidate, galeterone (TOK-001), is a small molecule, oral drug that disrupts the growth and survival of cancer cells via a novel and proprietary triple mechanism of action (MOA) for the treatment of prostate cancer. In preclinical studies, galeterone acts as an androgen receptor antagonist, as a CYP17 lyase inhibitor and decreases androgen receptor levels in prostate tumors – the only drug in development that has been shown to exhibit this property. In galeterone, these three distinct mechanisms of action are combined in one therapy.
In addition, Tokai has an early stage pipeline of other assets focused on semparatide, a synthetic version of parathyroid hormone-related peptide, for improved engraftment in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation; and specific progesterone receptor modulators, or SPRMs, for the treatment of uterine fibroids.
