Drug discovery
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CRT, the Cancer Research UK owned commercialisation and development company, has secured a deal with GSK which will make use of the charity’s expertise to carry out two projects. The first project seeks to understand how the compound GSK2136773 containing the active portion of an antibody, works in laboratory models of pancreatic cancer*. The second project will use sophisticated imaging techniques** to compare the antibody’s effectiveness against current therapies in treating bowel and kidney cancer. Financial details were not disclosed.
The scientists at the Cambridge Research Institute are experienced at running high quality translational studies using the Institute’s state of the art facilities and highly developed tumour models. Collaborations such as these with GSK’s Academic Discovery Performance Unit allow CRI researchers to study the latest therapeutics in development and make use of the charity’s expertise in progressing potential new treatments towards clinical use.
Dr David Tuveson, head of the Tumour Modelling and Experimental Medicine laboratory at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute - who will lead the first project - said: “We are delighted to be working with GSK and making the most of our medical and scientific expertise to push forward this project. It will enable us to determine if the domain antibody will help target pancreatic cancer – a cancer that poses some of the toughest questions for scientists because it has proven so difficult to treat.”
GSK2136773 was developed by GSK. It is a domain-based biopharmaceutical that binds to and inhibits the action of the protein VEGF. VEGF drives the development of an efficient blood supply to tumours and by blocking the blood supply, a tumour’s growth can be inhibited. Domain antibodies are the smallest active part of an antibody. They can be as small as a 12th of the size of a complete antibody and it is thought that the small size means they will be able to penetrate deeper into the tumour tissue, and therefore be more effective than traditional antibody therapies.
Dr Phil L’Huillier, director of business development at Cancer Research Technology said: “This collaboration offers an opportunity for our scientists to apply their world-leading expertise in cancer to help progress potential treatments. Taking a treatment from the laboratory to the patient is one of the most challenging steps in drug development and such collaborations can make an important contribution to this process.”
Notes to Editors
About the deals
*The first of the projects is a two year study funded by GSK. The work will seek to establish if GSK2136773 is effective against pancreatic cancer. This project will utilise world-leading laboratory models which replicate the genetic changes seen in real tumours. These changes are common in pancreatic cancer patients and can be found in the Ras and p53 genes. The study will compare the new antibody to gemcitabine, a chemotherapy agent currently used to treat pancreatic cancer.
**The second part of this investment is in an 18 month project to be led by Professor Kevin Brindle. This project will receive funding from GSK in addition to a secondee from the pharmaceutical company to help undertake the work. Using imaging techniques, this project will investigate whether GSK2136773 is more effective in treating cancer than the licensed anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, bevacizumab (Avastin).
About the Cambridge Research Institute
The Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute is a major new research centre which aims to take the scientific strengths of Cambridge to practical application for the benefit of cancer patients. The Institute is a unique partnership between the University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK. It is housed in the Li Ka Shing Centre, a state-of-the-art research facility located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus which was generously funded by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, Cambridge University, Cancer Research UK, The Atlantic Philanthropies and a range of other donors. For more information visit www.cambridgecancer.org.uk.
About the University of Cambridge
As the University of Cambridge celebrates its eight-hundredth anniversary in 2009, it is looking to the future. Its mission is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.
The University of Cambridge’s reputation for excellence is known worldwide and reflects the scholastic achievements of its academics and students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by its staff. Some of the world’s most significant scientific breakthroughs have occurred at the University, including the splitting of the atom, invention of the jet engine and the discoveries of stem cells, plate tectonics, pulsars and the structure of DNA. From Isaac Newton to Stephen Hawking, the University has nurtured some of history’s greatest minds and has produced more Nobel Prize winners than any other UK institution with over 80 laureates.
