New Licensing Deal Has Sulforaphane Ingredient Poised for Anti-Cancer Drug

Evgen Ltd., a firm focused on commercializing the clinical potential of sulforaphane, has forged a licensing agreement with ingredient developer Lalilab Inc. and R&D firm PharmAgra Labs Inc., giving Evgen rights to develop sulforaphane ingredient Sulforadex as a drug ingredient.

According to the companies, Suforadex has potential for the prevention and treatment of prostate and other cancers. Lalilab and PharmAgra retain the rights to develop Sulforadex for topical applications. The companies are focused on applications for skin disease therapeutics and cosmetics. Thanks to the new agreement, Evgen will focus on developing Sulforadex as an oral pharmaceutical.

According to the companies, the inherent instability of suforaphane (obtained through cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli) causes it to decompose rapidly in open air within minutes to hours.  However, Sulforadex features patented, stabilized suforaphane technology that is said to extend shelf life from hours to years, which for the first time makes suforaphane a candidate for a drug ingredient. Sulforadex is based on a synthetic sulforaphane encapsulated within a sugar structure called an alpha-cyclodextrin.

“Evgen’s preclinical program will be completed within the next year,” stated Michel Baudet, president of Lalilab. “Although they inititally intend to target men with indolent prostate cancer, Sulforadex has much wider potential in the treatment of more advanced cancers; most likely in combination therapies with existing treatment regimes.”