US scientists have developed AOH1996, a cancer-stopping pill capable of annihilating solid tumors, and has shown effectiveness in treating various cancers, including breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung.

City of Hope in California developed AOH1996, named after Anna Olivia Healy, who died at nine due to neuroblastoma. The cancer-killing pill targets proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a protein that promotes tumor growth by facilitating DNA replication and repairing cancerous cells. This approach, unlike most targeted therapies, acts like a major airline terminal hub with multiple plane gates.

The data indicates that PCNA undergoes unique alterations in cancer cells, which enabled us to design a drug specifically targeting the form of PCNA found in cancer cells.

“Our cancer-killing pill is like a snowstorm that closes a key airline hub, shutting down all flights in and out only in planes carrying cancer cells, said Malkas, who published the findings in the journal Cell Chemical Biology. Malkas noted that results in cell and animal models have been promising and Phase 1 clinical trial in humans is currently underway. “AOH1996 can suppress tumour growth as a monotherapy or combination treatment in cell and animal models without resulting in toxicity”.