When people get a diagnosis of fatty liver disease, tumor or cancer, the first response is often fear. Feelings of foreboding and uncertainty almost always overwhelm patients with these diagnoses.
Through the years, there have been testimonies of reprieve and even cure through traditional therapy such as chemo, hormone therapy and radiation. But these sadly, come with serious challenges and side effects. Some patients have even developed resistance to these therapies with time which left them with little or no options.
Thanks to medical research and innovations, many challenges with traditional treatments are being addressed. Treatments have moved from symptom-based to the root cause of diseases. Medical researchers are recording breakthroughs on many fronts; one of such breakthrough is Denifanstat (TVB-2640) FASN Inhibitor which is a first-in-class small molecule drug. Just as the name implies, it is a Fatty Acid Synthase inhibitor that targets how liver and cancer cells process fat for growth.
In this article, we will explore the basics of this novel therapy in order to appreciate its difference, potential benefits and people who will benefit most from it. Stay with us as we explore…
What is Denifanstat (TVB-2640)?
Denifanstat is an experimental drug that is administered orally. It was developed to impede the processes of an enzyme known as the Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN).
Simply put, the FASN can be compared to a factory in the body and the job of this factory is to help cells generate the fats needed to build their membranes (walls), store energy and also grow. In normal cells this factory carries out its function as it should and remains balanced. But when it is diseased, it ‘over works’ and produces too much fat which feeds the growth of these cancers and liver diseases.
The work of this drug (Denifanstat) is to limit the pathway that has gone into overdrive of fat production. This in turn cuts of the source of energy to the diseased cells so that they cannot survive or multiply.
The Science Made Simple
FASN can be looked at as a generating station that supplies damaged liver or cancer cells with fuel (in this case, fatty acids). Without a steady supply of fuel therefore, these cells can neither grow nor divide; they cannot also adequately protect themselves.
Denisfanstat, or TVB-2640 as it is also known, operates like a power switch that turns off the fuel line. With the inhibition of FASN by this drug, the cells can no longer generate fatty acids inside them which cause them to experience metabolic stress. This in turn leads to the loss of energy which makes it difficult for the damaged cells to grow and ultimately die (in most cases).
The aim of TVB-2640, in a nutshell therefore, is to attack the disease at its root thereby slowing down or stopping its progression while helping other therapies become more effective.
What Makes Denifanstat Different from Traditional Treatments?
Almost all the conventional cancer treatments work by going after rapidly growing/dividing cells; however, they cannot differentiate between healthy cells and the cancer cells. That is why patients undergoing these treatments often experience side effects like nausea, hair loss and fatigue.
With Denifanstat, however, the approach is different (smarter and more targeted). It doesn’t attack every rapidly-dividing cell but explicitly targets FASN (the enzymes that the damaged cells rely on for growth and survival). This ensures that the healthy units that can get the needed energy from external diet instead of internal production are not adversely affected.
The summary here is that TVB-2640 has the ability to provide a more targeted treatment option which has potentially less harmful side effects than traditional treatments.
You can visit this site: https://www.cancer.gov/ for tips on how to handle side effects of traditional cancer treatments.
Potential Benefits of Denifanstat (TVB-2640)
Although this drug is still in its experimental stage, the results so far are encouraging. It is potentially beneficial for treating cancer and metabolic liver diseases like NASH (Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis), which is now referred to as Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).
The following are some of the benefits that we can look forward to:-
A Targeted Mechanism of Action
TVB-2640 goes directly to the cause of the disease instead of attacking every cell; this it does by impeding FASN from producing too much fatty acid in the damaged cellular system. This in turn inhibits the growth of the diseased cells and enhances liver growth without randomly harming healthy tissues.
Potential in Liver Disease (NASH/MASH)
One of the major breakthroughs of this drug is in the treatment of fatty liver disease. Clinical trials carried out so far have shown that it can reduce inflammation and liver fat significantly. This is noteworthy because there are presently negligible numbers of drugs approved for the treatment of MASH, even though this condition affects multitude of people all over the world.
By slowing down fibrotic damage and the reduction of liver fat, Denifanstat is becoming one of the first oral therapies that will tackle the growing global menace that MASH is fast becoming.
Promise in Cancer Treatment
A good number of cancer tumors found in breasts, ovary, prostrate and lungs show Fatty Acid Synthase activity that’s abnormally high. Denifanstat on the other hand have been shown to slow the growth of these tumors and make the damaged units more responsive to other therapies such as chemotherapy.
Good Tolerability and Convenience
This drug is taken orally, which makes it way more convenient than hospital infusions and injections. The results of clinical trials show that they are generally well tolerated and the side effects are mild and reversible. The side effects reported so far include temporary irritation in the eyes, slight skin dryness or digestive discomfort. These are nothing compared to the severity of the side effects of chemo.
Conclusion
From results of studies so far, Denifanstat (TVB-2640) is not just another investigational drug, it represents hope for dealing with disease from the root up instead of just treating symptoms. Research is still ongoing on this drug but hopes are high because early results have already shown great promise for patients suffering fatty liver disease and some types of cancer.
This innovation is one that brings hope for treatment that has short-term and reversible side effects as against those with heavy, permanent side effects.
