Socially Driven Innovation
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, with approximately 466,000 deaths each year. In Europe, around 132,000 people die annually from the disease, including about 3,150 in the Netherlands. Existing treatments still offer limited survival prospects. Only 5% of patients with pancreatic cancer survive five years after diagnosis. Pepper Therapeutics B.V. sees potential in the use of phenformin, a biguanide. Metformin, phenformin’s closely related diabetes drug, has been studied previously but was found to be insufficiently effective. Recent preclinical research shows that phenformin penetrates tumors more effectively than metformin, making it a more promising candidate.

Professor Hanneke Wilmink, medical oncologist at Amsterdam UMC – Cancer Center Amsterdam, explains:
“Biguanides such as metformin affect tumor metabolism and the immune system, but they fail to reach sufficient concentrations within the tumor. Phenformin has different properties and penetrates the tumor more effectively. With Pepper Therapeutics B.V., we aim to translate this promise into clinical studies and an affordable treatment.”
“In daily practice, it is clear how few options there are for patients with pancreatic cancer” adds Professor Casper van Eijck, emeritus professor of surgery at Erasmus MC. “The Dutch study should demonstrate if phenformin can be safely combined with standard chemotherapy and offers a basis for further research.”

Phased Development and Societal Mission
Development will proceed step by step. In the first phase, the active substance and capsules will be redeveloped and produced according to modern GMP standards. This will be followed by a Dutch phase I/II study in multiple hospitals. If the results are favorable, an international, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study will follow, involving 250–300 patients in Europe and possibly the United States.
“From day one, it has been established that we operate from a societal mission,” says Vincent van der Wel, director of Pepper Therapeutics B.V. “We combine a solid business case with Socially Responsible Licensing tems and cost-based pricing with a modest margin. This allows us to invest in development while ensuring that any new treatment for pancreatic cancer remains affordable for patients and healthcare systems.”

About Pepper Therapeutics B.V.
Pepper Therapeutics B.V. was founded by Amsterdam UMC Ventures Holding, Erasmus MC O&O Holding, Stichting Overleven met Alvleesklierkanker (better known under the campaign name Support Casper), Stichting RARE-NL – a national collaboration of university medical centers to develop medicines under societal conditions – and Orfenix. The company focuses exclusively on the redevelopment of phenformin as a new treatment for pancreatic cancer, with affordability, social responsibility, and broad accessibility as its core values.