Our partnerships
Cancer Research Horizons partners across the fields of academia, industry, drug discovery and investors.
Under the terms of the agreement, Arxx Therapeutics is granted an exclusive and global licence to intellectual property rights to specific anti-S100A4 antibodies. Tony Hickson, Cancer Research UK’s chief business officer, said: “This agreement will allow further investigation into S100A4, to better understand regulation of cellular processes and how to tackle cancer at a molecular level. This could benefit patients suffering from hard to treat cancers characterised by aggressive growth and spread, such as pancreatic and triple negative breast cancers, for which there are few therapeutic options available.”
“The expertise and collaborative approach at Cancer Research UK means it is uniquely positioned to help drive cancer innovation through industry partnerships and speed up the development of new treatments for those affected by the disease.”
“As disease upregulated extracellular S100A4 is responsible for eliciting excessive activation of the pro-fibrotic, pro-inflammatory and tumor-promoting microenvironment, neutralization of extracellular S100A4 represents a compelling and novel approach to treat a range of human indications, spanning from autoimmune and fibrotic diseases to metastatic cancers. We are excited to partner with Cancer Research UK, to seek out novel treatments for a range of human diseases where current treatment options are limited and medical need is high,” commented Hamed Brodersen, Chairman of Arxx Therapeutics.
The lead drug candidate, 6B12, is a first-in-class, high-affinity, selective monoclonal antibody against S100A4, which has been validated both in vitro and in vivo in different disease models and consistently shown to effectively neutralise the extracellular effects of S100A4 and produce robust disease inhibiting effects. This programme originated through research at the Danish Cancer Society and was then assigned to Cancer Research UK to seek out commercial partnership opportunities for its development.
Notes to Editors
About Cancer Research UK’s Commercial Partnerships Team
Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Our specialist Commercial Partnerships Team 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. The team develop promising ideas into successful cancer therapeutics, software, devices, diagnostics and enabling technologies. This helps to accelerate progress in exciting new discoveries in cancer research and bring new treatments to patients sooner. Cancer Research UK’s commercial activity operates through Cancer Research Technology Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cancer Research UK. It is the legal entity which pursues drug discovery research in themed alliance partnerships and delivers varied commercial partnering arrangements. Visit http://commercial.cancerresearchuk.org/
About Cancer Research UK
- Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
- Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
- Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years.
- Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years.
- Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
- Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About Arxx Therapeutics AS
Arxx Therapeutics is a newly established Scandinavian biotechnology company that seeks to develop novel treatments for a range of human diseases, spanning from autoimmune and fibrotic diseases to desmoplastic and metastatic cancers. Arxx Therapeutics has received financing from Innovation Norway and Scandinavian seed and venture investors.
