Propanc Biopharma’s Lead Asset PRP Reprograms Chemotherapy-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Key Highlights
- ➤PRP reduced proliferation 50% in WT and 54% in chemoresistant pancreatic cancer cells
- ➤PRP pre-treatment suppressed long-term clonogenic survival 59% in WT and 39% in GR cells
- ➤Sequential PRP followed by chemotherapy produced the study’s strongest functional response
- ➤PRP monotherapy reduced invasive capacity 81% in WT and 47% in GR cells
- ➤Phase 1b first-in-human study for advanced solid tumors planned for Q1 2027
Expert Statements
James Nathanielsz, Chief Executive Officer of Propanc Biopharma
“These findings are highly significant as we progress PRP to a world-first, Phase 1b, First-In-Human study for advanced cancer patients with solid tumors in Q1 2027, because we envision PRP as a welcome addition to the treatment process, as a long term, metronomic therapy that minimizes threat of recurrence, whilst enabling patients to respond to standard treatment options where tumor resistance has become a critical, life threatening factor.”
James Nathanielsz, Chief Executive Officer of Propanc Biopharma
“Dr. Toledo’s findings shows that PRP’s targeted multiple effects reprograms pancreatic cancer cells through interconnected biological programs which alters chemoresistance, tumor cell plasticity and aggressive behavior. We are now in the unique position to investigate sequential combinatorial approaches that rely on inhibition of specific tumor pathways which are effective, but do not address tumor led resistance mechanisms.”
Maria Belén Toledo, Study leader from the Universities of Jaén and Granada
“This distinction is central to the study: PRP was used first as a resistance-modulating intervention, while chemotherapy was subsequently used as the challenge to test whether the cells had become more responsive and sensitive.”
MELBOURNE, Australia, Oct. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPCB) (“Propanc” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for chronic diseases including recurrent and metastatic cancer, today announced new preclinical research from an academic–industry collaboration from the Universities of Jaén and Granada, led by Dr. Maria Belén Toledo, has identified pancreatic proenzyme formulation, PRP, as a potential strategy for addressing chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer.
Chemotherapy-resistant tumor cells can acquire adaptive cellular states that allow them to survive treatment and maintain aggressive characteristics. The study investigated whether PRP could remodel these resistant states and increase their vulnerability to subsequent chemotherapy. It combined functional cellular analyses with transcriptome-wide (i.e. RNA molecules within the cell) profiling in pancreatic cancer models with acquired chemotherapy resistance.
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