AZ research collaboration targets cancer ‘chaperones’
pharmafile | June 8, 2009 | News story | Research and Development | AZ, Academic
AstraZeneca is putting more than £4 million over the next three years into an oncology research project with two partners.
Leading European oncology research centre the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and Cancer Research Technology (CRT) – a subsidiary of UK charity Cancer Research UK – will join the pharma giant in the hunt for new anti-cancer drugs.
The partners will target molecular 'chaperones', whose primary purpose is to ensure that newly-made proteins function correctly.
Dr Les Hughes, AstraZeneca vice president, discovery for the oncology and infection research area, said: "We are impressed by the potential in these targets and are delighted to be joining forces with this world-renowned research team to progress this work.
"Drawing on our long history of discovering and developing cancer therapeutics, we aim to convert this early scientific promise into treatments that could make a real impact on the lives of cancer patients."
The deal represents AstraZeneca's second oncology tie-up in as many weeks, following its agreement with Merck to research a novel combination treatment.
The new agreement will give AstraZeneca an exclusive worldwide licence for any compounds found with CRT and the ICR, while those institutions will receive upfront and milestone payments and royalties on future sales.
Molecular chaperones play an essential 'escort role' by ensuring that newly made proteins adopt the correct shape to function correctly and also help normal cells to respond to stress.
However, new research suggests that these chaperones can also help produce cancer-causing proteins and even aid the survival of cancer cells, allowing them to become more aggressive. But since cancer cells become more dependent than healthy ones on chaperones they are logical targets for cancer treatment.
"We hope to exploit an 'Achilles heel' in the chaperone and stress pathways of cancer cells," said Professor Paul Workman, director of the Cancer Research UK Centre for cancer therapeutics at the ICR.
Full details of these novel targets have not been published, but the ICR team has already worked in this area.
As well as finding new proteins the collaboration will look at the potential for using well-established ones such as HSP90, which has an important role in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell growth, cell survival and apoptosis in certain other proteins.
While ICR will lead on the scientific work, CRT will help develop and commercialise new discoveries.
In addition to the AstraZeneca money there will be £1.6 million in funding from Cancer Research UK, which originally backed the laboratory work that led to the collaboration.
"Only time will tell if these potential targets will become workable treatments for cancer patients in the future, but this work shows great promise," said Dr Phil L'Huillier, director of business management at CRT.
Related stories:
AstraZeneca and Merck launch early stage trial collaboration
June 03, 2009
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