Numbers Don’t Lie

4 August 2026

When it comes to cancer treatment, one of the most important questions is not only which drug is used, but where the drug goes.

Conventional chemotherapy is usually delivered systemically, meaning that the drug travels through the bloodstream and is distributed throughout the body. Localized drug delivery takes a different approach: delivering the treatment directly into the tumor and keeping it concentrated at the target site.

Preclinical data generated with the ChemoGell™ platform point to substantial differences in drug distribution.

Up to 170× higher drug concentration inside the tumor

Based on calculations from pre-clinical data and clinical practise, drug concentrations inside the target tissue can achieve levels up to 170 times higher or more compared to those achieved through systemic administration.

This is important because the effectiveness of an oncology drug depends, among other factors, on whether a sufficient concentration can reach the tumor and stay there long enough.

By placing the drug directly inside the tumor, localized delivery aims to overcome part of the distribution challenge associated with systemic treatment.

Rather than relying on the bloodstream to transport the drug to the tumor, the treatment starts at the target itself.

Up to 1,000× lower exposure outside the tumor

The other side of the equation is just as important.

Earlier preclinical data showed that drug exposure outside the target tissue could be up to 1,000 times lower than inside the tumor.

This is one of the central goals of localized drug delivery: concentrating treatment at the tumor while limiting unnecessary exposure to healthy tissues and organs.

Reducing systemic exposure could potentially help address one of the major challenges associated with chemotherapy: the fact that drugs designed to attack cancer cells can also affect healthy tissues.

Up to 70× lower total drug dose

A third finding is the amount of drug required.

According to the preclinical data and comparing with the clinical practise, the total drug load required with localized delivery could be up to 70 times lower than with conventional routes of administration.

This does not mean that every patient would require a 70-fold lower dose. These figures come from specific preclinical models and are intended to illustrate the potential of the technology.

Nevertheless, the difference highlights an important principle: if more of the drug can be concentrated at the tumor, less total drug may be needed to achieve the desired local exposure.

Why drug distribution matters

These numbers are not simply about making a treatment more efficient. They illustrate a broader challenge in oncology.

A cancer drug needs to reach the tumor in sufficient concentration to have an effect. At the same time, exposure of healthy tissues should ideally be minimized.

With systemic chemotherapy, these two objectives can be difficult to separate because the drug circulates throughout the body.

Localized delivery aims to change that balance.

ChemoGell™ is designed to create a drug depot directly inside the tumor. The depot then gradually releases the loaded oncology drug over time, maintaining local exposure while limiting distribution elsewhere in the body.

From numbers to potential clinical benefit

Higher local drug concentrations and lower systemic exposure could have important implications for cancer treatment.

In principle, concentrating treatment at the tumor could increase local therapeutic activity while reducing the amount of drug reaching healthy organs and tissues.

This may help create a wider therapeutic window: the difference between a dose that can effectively treat a tumor and a dose that causes unacceptable toxicity.

However, preclinical results are not the same as clinical outcomes. The safety, effectiveness and appropriate dosing of ChemoGell™ in humans will need to be established through further development and clinical trials.

A platform designed for localized treatment

ChemoGell™ is a thermo-responsive hydrogel platform developed by OncoLize for localized delivery of oncology drugs.

The formulation is injected as a liquid directly into the tumor using a thin needle, catheter or endoscope. Within seconds, it forms a soft hydrogel depot that remains localized and gradually releases the drug.

The platform has been investigated with established oncology drugs including Gemcitabine, Paclitaxel and Cis-Platinum, as well as a proprietary peptide.

OncoLize is initially focusing on pancreatic cancer, while the broader platform is being developed with potential applications across different solid tumors.

The bigger picture

The three numbers — 170×, 1,000× and 70× — illustrate the potential impact of changing how cancer drugs are delivered.

• Up to 170× higher drug concentration inside the target tissue
• Up to 1,000× lower drug exposure outside the target tissue
• Up to 70× lower total drug load in specific preclinical models

Together, these findings support further investigation of localized drug delivery as a potential way to improve the balance between tumor treatment and systemic exposure.

For OncoLize, the goal is straightforward: deliver more of the treatment where it is needed, while reducing unnecessary exposure where it is not.

The next step: clinical development

Turning promising preclinical results into a treatment for patients requires extensive further work. OncoLize is preparing for the next stages of development, including safety assessments, manufacturing scale-up, regulatory preparation and clinical trial documentation.

The ultimate test will be clinical research in humans.

Until then, the preclinical data provide an encouraging basis for investigating whether localized delivery can translate into meaningful benefits for patients with difficult-to-treat solid tumors.

If you would like to learn more about OncoLize and its development of localized cancer drug-delivery technologies, visit the OncoLize website. Are you interested in investing in Oncolize, please check our investors page.