Breast cancer is a topic of growing concern. Our product targets triple-negative breast cancer and is designed to use a protein-based injectable drug that is injected directly into the patient's body in conjunction with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy. Now protein-based injectable drugs have just been approved for a drug indication in 2022, so there are not many categories currently in use on the market, so perhaps our product will be an eye-opener for patients still suffering from triple-negative breast cancer. Therefore, understanding the need for the product, the end-user profile, consumer acceptance, and product safety became critical and were key objectives for us. We adapt our product designs through constant communication with residents, businesses and experts.
Questionnaire 1
The first questionnaire's theme is Triple Negative Breast Cancer Popularization and Understanding. A total of 572 people participated in this survey, and 66.43% were females.
We selected one question to analyze, which was: under what circumstances do you think you need to be screened for breast cancer? Through this survey, we found that some of the participants lacked awareness of the importance of breast cancer screening, with only 68% aware of the need for regular checkups, while the other 22% did not realize the need for regular checkups to rule out their own risk of developing cancer. Lack of time, unawareness of the need for regular checkups, and not considering themselves at risk for breast cancer were the main reasons for not undergoing breast cancer screening.
Figure 1 Question’under what circumstances do you think you need to be screened for breast cancer?’
That's why in our online popularization accounts, such as our Jitterbug account we have posted several popular articles for the female population about what triple-negative breast cancer is and how to prevent triple-negative breast cancer, how to prevent cancer, and many other popular science articles.
In a separate question, we asked about the sources through which respondents would like to learn about triple-negative breast cancer. The results of the questionnaire showed that around 81% of people wanted to learn about triple negative breast cancer through Shakeology. Prior to this questionnaire, we created a Jieyin account for the online popularization of science, and this aligns with the preferences of the majority of respondents, as well as WeChat. In addition, we did not have a Bilibili account before the questionnaire was released, but after the results of this questionnaire were collected, we found that about 40% of the respondents wanted to learn about triple-negative breast cancer through Bilibili, so we created an additional Bilibili account in order to meet the needs of more people.
Figure 2 Question ’through which source would you like to learn about triple-negative breast cancer’
Questionnaire 2
The theme of the second questionnaire was the public's acceptance of targeted peptide therapy for triple-negative breast cancer, with a total of 699 participants in our survey.
Among them, 62.8% of respondents had not heard of targeted peptide therapy for breast cancer, with over half of them having little to no understanding of this treatment method for triple-negative breast cancer.
Figure 3 Question’Have you ever heard of targeted peptidle drugs for breast cancer?’
More than 80% of participants expressed concerns about the cost of targeted peptide therapy, indicating the need for careful consideration when pricing our product in the later stages.
Figure 4 question ’Are you concerned about the cost of targeted peptide drug therapy?’
This survey has made us aware of the lack of public knowledge about breast cancer and targeted peptide therapy. We will intensify our efforts in educational outreach in this area in the future. Additionally, it has drawn our attention to pricing considerations for the product in the later stages.
In order to understand more about how our products are professionally made, we had the honor to interview a team of professionals. From a Shanghai biochemical company called Gill Biochemistry. This company was founded in 1998. Our interview was relaxed but informative. We talked about the pricing strategy of protein drugs nowadays, the refinement of chemotherapy calculation cycle and the key steps of production. And they provided us with a range of specialized advice.
Figure 5a&b
Company employees walked us through the detailed production line of the drug and explained the steps they take to produce it.
We got a few important points to think about:
l The cost of the drug is too high, we can choose more domestically produced materials to make it while ensuring the same efficacy.
l In order to ensure the safety of the drug, we should keep all the production processes sterile to avoid material inactivation and waste.
l The biochemical drug producers, like the general public, are interested in whether the long-term use of drugs will have adverse effects on human health.
We also described our project design to our manager, who gave us some enlightening advice on safety descriptions:
l The public may or may not be aware of specialized scientific knowledge, and it would be best to describe the safety of the materials used in the product.
l If our drug product is subsequently manufactured on a large scale, we need to account for any errors in our work that could lead to adverse effects on the human body.
In response to these two suggestions, we documented and emphasized them in the safety section of our project. This is because we understand that our project must be accountable to the public and the company.
Dr. Yang Xiaofeng
In this online interview, we had the honor to interview a professor, Master's Supervisor, and Ph.D. Supervisor of the South China University of Technology. Our main purpose of this interview is to understand the application scenarios and advantages of peptide drugs, to understand the limitations and feasibility of the drugs, and to investigate the solutions to the difficulties encountered in the experiments.
Figure 6
Before this interview, we learned through questionnaires that many people nowadays know little about cancer. In the interview, Professor Yang said that it is common for the public to lack the knowledge about breast cancer. importance of raising awareness about early detection and treatment, demystifying cancer, and promoting regular medical checkups through channels such as social media and short videos. Therefore, we can spread the knowledge about cancer and how to prevent and treat it to the public in the future through social media, short videos, and so on.
Moreover, we learned that a large proportion of breast cancer patients need chemotherapy, which targets growing and dividing cells, (cancer cells). However, chemotherapy can kill dividing cells through out the body, and may lead to side effects like hair loss. However, our product is gentler than other products on the market due to our methodology and does not cause hair loss.
During the interview, we learned that there are many prospects for synthetic biology, such as the process of splicing DNA, genes, proteins, etc. called synthetics, genetically modified crops, and changing crop varieties. We have also created our short video account and public number, where we plan to share some content in the above area to promote our products and give the public knowledge about breast cancer.
Dr. Xue Kaming
In this online interview, we interviewed Dr. Xue Kaming, an attending physician at the Department of Integrative Medicine at the Union Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Our interview focuses on an in-depth understanding of the specialty of protein-based products and how we can improve our products in the future.
Figure 7
First of all, we asked the professor about the application scenario of protein drug therapy in the therapeutic approach for triple-negative breast cancer. The doctor told us that triple-negative breast cancer accounts for about 15% of breast cancers because it refers to breast cancers that are negative for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and proto-oncogene Her-2. The degree of malignancy of breast cancer is relatively high. Moreover, triple-negative breast cancer is characterized by a high propensity for early metastasis and a significant risk of recurrence, which contributes to the heightened concern surrounding this subtype of breast cancer. Therefore, it is difficult to treat it. At present, there is no endocrine therapy drug or targeted drug to treat it. However, the protein drugs researched nowadays are more promising. They are mostly peptides and genetically engineered drugs. Compared with small molecule chemical drugs, these drugs have higher activity, higher specificity, lower toxicity and higher precision. These drugs will be used in combination with chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. It is a new adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage high-risk triple-negative breast cancer. Some protein-based drugs are used to improve advanced triple-negative breast cancer, which is much more useful for complete remission of pathology than chemotherapy alone. There is now a better progression in this category of breast cancer. Regarding our product's concept of inducing ferroptosis in tumor cells to eliminate them, it is particularly relevant for triple-negative breast cancer, which is characterized by its high iron and lipid content. So that means the tumor is more sensitive to iron death. This is one direction of breast cancer treatment. The main performance is to control oxidative stasis, regulate lipid metabolism, and treat it from these perspectives. Further in vitro studies can be carried out, mainly focusing on some novel nanomaterials that combine with iron ferric agents. Further research efforts are needed afterward.
Secondly, we learned that protein drugs have just been approved for drug indications in 2022. Now the medical side is mainly ching with immunotherapy, chemotherapy and anti-angiogenic three-point therapy, which is what we call triple therapy. It's a very important direction for us to explore in the future, and it is expected to become the new standard of care for triple-negative breast cancer treatment.
Third, our invention is a peptide drug, which is mainly an injectable drug. However, peptide drugs are characterized by short half-life, so frequent injections may be required for future clinical use. At present, it seems that protein drugs have just been approved for a short period of time. However, patients' acceptance and awareness of protein drug therapy are gradually developing. If the efficacy of the treatment is good, the degree of acceptance of patients and their families is still relatively high. In the face of patients with resistance, we, as well as doctors, need to pay attention to the control of the dose. The dose must be precise. Eliminate the effects of chemotherapy toxicity on the patient. Replacing the traditional regimen with a new one can reduce the patient's fear of the disease. In addition, in terms of cost, awareness is slowly increasing and acceptance is higher. Currently, the country's immunotherapy, targeted therapy is very expensive, not included in the health insurance, but the basic treatment can be covered. However, we can work hard to get our products into the scope of commercial insurance and also allow the state to give some medical reimbursement.
Based on the doctor's advice and guidance, we know that in terms of promotion, we need to emphasize the efficacy of our product. We need to use data as well as facts to prove that our drug is more effective than the original drug. In terms of toxicity and side effects, we need to make patients accept the treatment psychologically. And we need to emphasize its uniqueness. In addition, from an economic point of view, the existing drugs are expensive, with a course of treatment costing about 50,000 to 150,000 dollars. A patient's treatment cycle is probably in the range of three to six cycles. So we need to consider whether we can make our product less expensive than existing products. And whether patients can achieve the results they expect for that amount of money.
In terms of publicity, we need to do breast cancer screening for the general asymptomatic population. We need to popularize with the public that breast cancer can be detected through general screening such as medical check-ups, which in turn will enhance the effectiveness of treatment. It is recommended that women under the age of forty have a physical examination or ultrasound once a year. It can greatly reduce the mortality rate by about 30%. Secondly, we need to draw further preventive measures through these research studies on the incidence factors of breast cancer. And we need to calculate the national breast cancer screening rate after universal access. Thirdly, we also need to raise the literacy level of the population, for example, by going out to the community to raise awareness. We can also teach them some self-testing methods, such as observing the dynamic changes of their own bodies when taking a shower every day to understand their own breasts (changes in breast size, whether there is any discharge), so that they can have a certain understanding of their own bodies. This way, if you go to the hospital in the future, you can also express your claims to the doctor more clearly and save a lot of time. You need to go to the hospital for X-rays if you suspect any problems. Above the age of twenty, a routine breast ultrasound needs to be done every six months to a year. If you suspect something serious, you need to go to the hospital immediately for an MRI. There are some high-risk groups that we need to purposely publicize. First, for those with a family history of breast cancer, especially for immediate family members. Also, for cystic hyperplasia of the breast. Thirdly, for early menarche (girls younger than 12 years old) or for those older than 40 years old who are unmarried and infertile or who give birth later (after 35 years old). Women who breastfeed less frequently or for less time, are patients with functional uterine bleeding. There are also obese patients. Immunodeficient patients. Patients who have had radiation therapy to the chest. These are all high-risk groups and require special attention.
Dr.Wang
In this online interview, we interviewed Dr. Wang Tao, an antibody-drug research and development researcher from Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. The main content of the interview was to put forward some improvements and suggestions for our business plan, which can better allow investors to quickly understand our products and highlight our advantages.
Figure 8
When showing the business plan to investors, the most basic company information and company business information should be presented or presented to investors intuitively, which can be presented in the form of ppt or tables. In addition, the differences between our company and other companies should be highlighted in the presentation, and examples should be discussed from multiple angles. It is necessary to state in detail the special features of the company's products, the way of use, the effect of use, and the way of selling them. Let investors have a better understanding of the company and its products. Explain to investors the group of sales, specifically explain the reasons for selling to this group and the future prospects, and discuss with investors to make them more confident in investing in the company Explain the company's pricing strategy for the product, cost sources, and cost structure (it is best to use a diagram to illustrate), and explain the disadvantages of the product in the early stage of listing and the initial stage of listing. Let investors know the risk factors of investment. After the above main information is explained, we can talk about the government's policies and state subsidies for this product or sub-field. Or go into detail about finances, expenses, cost structure tables, etc. Advertisement videos can also be made in advance for publicity.
Since the beginning of our program, our team has maintained a positive attitude toward engaging in in-depth research with issues we believe are relevant to triple-negative breast cancer. What we didn't expect was the tremendous impact and insight it would have on us as researchers as well.
Through the interviews, we gained a clearer understanding of the dangers of triple-negative breast cancer in our society and what we should be looking into. We delved deeper into how to treat triple-negative breast cancer through materials, novel treatments, and personal perspectives and incorporated them into our products.
In order to make people more aware of life safety, we have also conducted offline community outreach to reduce the incidence of breast cancer at its source. This is also a way for us to understand more about the level of awareness of breast cancer among the public and to be more aware of the situation of our users. (click here for Education)
Most importantly, we are able to more closely consider the interests of consumers by personally visiting protein-based drug-related research and development companies. Having professionals directly address our existing unique problems and improve existing solutions helps us understand and plan for how our products will be used after their initial purchase, and helps us understand how our medicines will, directly and indirectly, impact patient outcomes of use.
Our project's target customers are mainly major hospitals in China's first-tier cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen).
The use case for our product involves targeting triple-negative breast cancer. It is designed to utilize a protein-based injectable drug that is administered directly to the patient's body, in conjunction with conventional treatments like chemotherapy.
We will implement our project through targeted events like medical seminars and exhibitions. Additionally, we may explore partnerships with hospitals for clinical trials, collaborate on focused public platforms, and promote our product in places like health centers.