Encyt was founded in 2014 and has been engaged in pioneering research that has uncovered evidence for a distinct and highly conserved inflammatory response triggered by surgical removal of a primary breast, colorectal, or prostate tumor and treatment with chemotherapy or radiation.  This response occurs within a predictable time frame after cancer treatment and can trigger accelerated regrowth of a surviving cancer cell population and induce cancer stem cell enrichment.   This inflammatory response will lead to the development of a metastatically competent, treatment-resistant cancer cell phenotype in the cancer cells that survive the treatment.

Based on our discovery of the specific triggers of this process, Encyt has focused on the development of therapeutic options to disrupt this process at the time it is up-regulated as a rational treatment approach against cancer.  Encyt has entered into a collaboration with a research group from Queen’s University where we have been conducting extensive animal studies using a unique and proprietary combination of therapeutic agents designed to disrupt the signaling pathways that we have identified as being important in facilitating this process.  We have been able to achieve an impressive 90% reduction in the growth of a human primary pancreatic cancer in mouse xenografts as compared with chemotherapy alone and significantly limit the development of metastatic disease and drug resistance. We have also shown even greater efficacy in the treatment of human ovarian and breast cancer using our novel treatment approach in xenografts.

Encyt’s main focus at present is to test our novel and proprietary therapeutic approach in a human clinical trial.  We are finalizing the research work needed to prepare our proprietary treatment in a human clinical trial and anticipate enrollment to start in 2025.

Encyt is funded by a small group of angel investors, as well as support from various government and philanthropic organizations. In 2025, Encyt hopes to initiate its first human clinical trial for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.   The company is currently seeking additional funds for the expansion of human clinical trials and eventual commercialization or licensing.