Promising new treatment: Cancer drug from Kazakhstan passes first clinical tests

ASTANA — Kazakhstan's cancer drug developed by a team of scientists led by Dos Sarbassov, a Kazakh-American biologist and professor at Nazarbayev University (NU), has passed the first phase of clinical trials. Sarbassov hosted a press conference and laboratory tour in Astana on August 14 to discuss the progress of the drug development project, results of ongoing clinical trials and further research plans.

Dos Sarbassov, a Kazakh-American biologist and professor at Nazarbayev State University (NU). Photo credit: The Astana Times / Nagima Abuova.

Sarbassov explained the clinical trials and the mechanism of action. The concept of the innovative drug is based on targeted chemotherapy aimed at causing mutated Kristen rat sarcoma (KRAS) cancer cells to self-destruct. This is achieved by a combination of a high dose of the D-form of vitamin C (D-VC) and a low concentration of arsenic trioxide (ATO). In the first phase of clinical trials, 15 patients with stage 4 colon cancer were given small doses of the drug ranging from 0.15 to 0.30 grams per kilogram of body weight.

According to Sarbassov, the use of the drug in patients who were given 0.15 grams per kilogram of body weight was safe but had no effect. In comparison, in patients who were given a dose of 0.30 grams per kilogram, the disease stabilized and tumor growth stopped. In one patient, the tumor even shrank by 30%.

“The first phase was crucial in determining the safety of the drug. We are now moving on to the second phase, where we will focus on reaching the maximum tolerated dose to achieve the best anti-tumor effect,” Sarbassov said.

He pointed out that KRAS mutations pose a major challenge in oncology because they lead to constant activation of cell division, which results in aggressive tumor growth. The team discovered that KRAS-mutated cells destroy themselves when they are deprived of glucose. Since it is not possible to remove glucose from the human body, the researchers used one of the vitamin C structures (D-VC) that cancer cells mistake for glucose, causing them to absorb the substance and destroy themselves.

Future research and development

Over the past three years, the team has proven the reliability of its research and received targeted funding for clinical trials from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan. A limited amount of DV-C was produced at the Almaty pharmaceutical factory. The second drug needed for the trials, arsenic oxide, was purchased in India. The drug was patented in the United States, where Sarbassov began development and NU has an exclusive license.

Dos Sarbassov shows journalists the laboratory where the cancer drug is being developed. Photo credit: The Astana Times / Nagima Abuova.

When asked about the expected price of the drug if the tests are successfully completed, Sarbassov replied that it will be affordable because it is a basic drug combination.

He also mentioned the drug's broader application potential, as the combination has minimal side effects and the trials are not limited to colon cancer.

“The next two years will be crucial for our drug development. In the first phase, we will keep the trials open to patients with different types of cancer, as this drug may be effective in suppressing other types of malignant cancer,” Sarbassov said.

About 60 patients are expected to take part in the second phase of the study, which will focus specifically on mutated KRAS cancer cells.

“We have received permission to increase the DV-C dose to 0.65 grams per kilogram of patient weight. In the next phase of this year, we plan to conduct trials on 60 patients. We will use higher doses of the drug to find out which type of cancer is most sensitive to treatment. If we get positive results, we will proceed to the third phase of clinical trials, which will be conducted on 1,000 patients,” Sarbassov added.

He also noted that the team is exploring the possibility of establishing a clinical trials center in Kazakhstan, which could attract foreign pharmaceutical companies and further strengthen the country's role in global cancer research.

Background and horizons in cancer treatment

Sarbassov explained that the idea of ​​using vitamin C to treat cancer has been around since the 1970s, but only now, thanks to advances in oncology, can the mechanisms underlying cancer cell growth be effectively addressed. Combining vitamin C with other drugs has shown promise in increasing the death rate of cancer cells, especially in the late stages of the disease.

Dos Sarbassov, a Kazakh-American biologist and professor at Nazarbayev State University (NU), gives a press conference. Photo credit: The Astana Times / Nagima Abuova.

“Our ultimate goal is to achieve the maximum tolerated dose of the drug that will achieve the best therapeutic effect and potentially lead to complete cancer suppression,” Sarbassov said.

Born in Almaty, Sarbassov came to the United States at the age of 24 as part of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) exchange program. He enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he earned his doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology.

From 1999 to 2006, he worked at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was later invited to head a research laboratory at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, a leading cancer center in the United States.

In 2019, he returned to Kazakhstan to advance scientific research at NU. Since 2020, Sarbassov has headed the National Laboratory Astana at NU, where leading Kazakh researchers focus on biomedicine, energy and renewable resources.