New Class Of Anti-Cancer Drugs That Target PI 3-kinase In Clinical Trials

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 13 Apr 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The Institute of Cancer Research announces that a drug candidate, first identified during a research collaboration with UK biotechnology company Piramed Limited, is in clinical development. The trials are currently underway in the UK at The Institute of Cancer Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and in the U.S.

The candidate, GDC-0941, representing a new class of anti-cancer drug, was discovered at Piramed and is based on a chemical series first identified during an earlier collaboration involving The Institute, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK and Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Company (now Astellas Pharma Inc.).

The drug target is PI 3-kinase, a key intracellular enzyme involved in a wide range of cancers. GDC-0941 is highly efficacious in pre-clinical disease models not only as monotherapy, but also in combination with certain approved and experimental therapies.

GDC-0941 has been the subject of pre-clinical evaluation at both Piramed and Genentech to whom Piramed licensed the compound as part of the collaboration agreement between the two companies signed in November 2005. Under the terms of the latter agreement, Genentech is responsible for all clinical development.

Professor Paul Workman, Head of Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at The Institute, said: "This is a significant milestone in the development of a new drug that has the potential to treat a broad range of cancers in which PI 3-kinase is important. It is also an example of how academia can work alongside the biotechnology industry to discover innovative drugs."

About The Institute of Cancer Research

The Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics is a unique drug discovery and development group. The department works to identify targets for therapy and utilise new technologies in order to discover drugs and develop them as quickly as possible for use in early clinical trials.

The Institute of Cancer Research is Europe's leading cancer research centre with expert scientists working on cutting edge research. It was founded in 1909 to carry out research into the causes of cancer and to develop new strategies for its prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. www.icr.ac.uk

The Institute works in a unique partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, forming the largest Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Europe. This relationship enables close daily contact between research scientists and those on the frontline in the fight against cancer - the clinicians, the carers and most importantly, the patients.

Cancer Research Technology

Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) is a specialist commercialisation and development company, which aims to develop new discoveries in cancer research for the benefit of cancer patients. CRT works closely with leading international cancer scientists and their institutes to protect intellectual property arising from their research and to establish links with commercial partners. CRT facilitates the discovery, development and marketing of new cancer therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and enabling technologies. CRT is wholly owned by Cancer Research UK, the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world. Further information about CRT can be found at www.cancertechnology.com

Cancer Research UK

Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer. The charity carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer. It ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients. Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make. The charity works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer. For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit http://www.cancerresearchuk.org

The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) is a global non-profit institute dedicated to understanding and controlling cancer. With operations at 73 sites in 17 countries, the LICR network quite literally spans the world. LICR has developed an impressive portfolio of reagents, knowledge, expertise, and intellectual property, and has also assembled the personnel, facilities, and practices necessary to patent, clinically evaluate, license, and thus translate, the most promising aspects of its own laboratory research into cancer therapies. http://www.licr.org

The Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital, a charitable Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England under Company No. 534147 with its Registered Office at 123 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RP.