On November 1, 2001 Cancer Research Ventures (CRV) Limited, Auckland UniServices Limited and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, reported that they had formed a new company to develop new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, NOV 1, 2001, View Source [SID1234523473]). Proacta Therapeutics Limited, which is to be based in Auckland, New Zealand, has been formed to further develop novel prodrugs and the technology for their localised activation only at the site of tumours.

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Proacta has a strong and broad Intellectual Property portfolio, holding 21 patent families based on technology from the Institute of Cancer Research and the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC) of the University of Auckland.

The Company’s focus is to develop new treatment modalities for cancer, which are directly targeted at the tumour itself. The approach Proacta is taking is to develop essentially non-toxic prodrugs which do not have the often severe and unpleasant side effects associated with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The prodrugs are converted to highly active anti-cancer agents under certain conditions that either occur naturally within tumours, or are artificially generated locally within the tumour.

Proacta’s prodrug activation strategies include a number of proprietary enzymes delivered to the tumour by gene therapy, and the natural hypoxia found in most solid tumours. Proacta also has access to a new class of prodrugs which are activated by direct radiation of the tumour itself and which may, by substantially increasing the efficiency of existing radiotherapy treatment, allow lower doses of radiation to be given. In addition to its prodrug strategies, Proacta has a number of directly cytotoxic compounds, which can be targeted to the tumour using selective antibodies.

The Company’s scientists include Professor Caroline Springer and Dr. Richard Marais of The Institute of Cancer Research, based in the Cancer Research Campaign Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, and Professor Bill Denny and Bill Wilson of the ACSRC.

"The establishment of Proacta is a very encouraging development which should accelerate the development of this very exciting new cancer treatment modality", said Dr. Guy Wood-Gush, CEO of CRV in London. "The establishment of such a notable scientific team drawn from these top cancer research centres in the UK and New Zealand clearly underpins the exciting potential of these technologies."

"We have been collaborating with the Auckland team of scientists for some time and we are very much looking forward to implementing our plans and taking our drug candidates into the commercial arena", said Professor Springer of The Institute of Cancer Research.

Last week it was announced in Seattle that Proacta and Seattle Genetics Inc. had entered into a licensing agreement with Seattle Genetics acquiring from Proacta licensed-rights to a class of cell-killing Compounds. President and Chief Scientific Officer of Seattle Genetics, Dr. Clay B. Siegall, said the drugs developed by Proacta’s scientists would add significantly to his company’s pipeline of novel agents under development for the treatment of cancer.

"The Proacta compounds represent a unique class of drugs that are ideally suited for targeted drug delivery, providing a means to selectively kill cancer cells while limiting damage to normal tissue", he said.

Proacta plans to develop a certain number of its company proprietary prodrug candidates jointly with other parties as well as through an in-house drug development programme.

Shareholders in Proacta include CRV, The Institute of Cancer Research, Auckland UniServices Limited and the Centre for Applied Microbiological Research (CAMR) based in Porton Down, UK.

On August 30, 2001 Antisoma plc, the UK-based biopharmaceutical company developing novel targeted cancer therapies, reported that it has in-licensed DMXAA, a vascular targeting agent, from Cancer Research Ventures Limited ("CRV"), a global cancer technology transfer company created by the Cancer Research Campaign ("CRC") (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, AUG 30, 2001, View Source [SID1234523474]). The product, which has already completed two Phase I studies, brings the number of products Antisoma has in clinical development to four.

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Vascular targeting agents have significant potential to selectively restrict the blood flow to a tumour that would otherwise feed its growth. Additionally, DMXAA appears to cause the blood vessels to release substances such as tumour necrosis factor and interferons which may make the tumour more sensitive to other chemotherapeutic agents.

DMXAA was discovered by Professors Bruce Baguley and William Denny and their teams at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre ("ACSRC"), University of Auckland, New Zealand. In extensive pre-clinical studies carried out by the ACSRC, DMXAA, when used in combination with a number of other anti-cancer agents, particularly taxanes, was seen to control the growth of tumours in animal models and, in several cases, to eradicate them.

"It is still at an early stage, and we have a long way to go before we know what human tumours it may be most effective in, but the results so far have been very promising," Professor Baguley said. "A single dose of DMXAA in combination with another chemotherapeutic agent caused tumours to disappear at a rate we have not seen before."

Dose-ranging, Phase I clinical trials, sponsored by the CRC in the UK and in New Zealand, have provided safety data and indicate that DMXAA causes a reduction in tumour blood flow when used alone.

Glyn Edwards, Antisoma’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:
"This fascinating approach to tumour control further broadens our clinical pipeline. DMXAA has tremendous potential to treat established solid tumours, which comprise a major proportion of all diagnosed cancer. As a small molecule it further diversifies our portfolio. We hope to complete Phase I testing of DMXAA alone and start Phase Ib studies using DMXAA in combination with chemotherapy by the end of 2002."

CRV’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Guy Wood-Gush, added: "This deal is an excellent example of how CRV works with partners on a global basis. We have brought together a commercially experienced partner, Antisoma, and an important new drug discovered by scientists in New Zealand, supported by data from Phase I clinical trials run by the CRC. This clearly illustrates CRV’s key role in the worldwide market for early stage cancer products and CRV’s strong growth prospects."

Antisoma acquired exclusive worldwide rights to DMXAA in exchange for an upfront consideration of £700,000 inclusive of an equity component, as well as future milestones and royalties.

On June 5, 2001 Cancer Research Ventures ("CRV") reported that it had signed a license with Epigenomics which focuses on developing diagnostics and therapeutics based on the study of DNA methylation patterns of the genome (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, JUN 5, 2001, View Source [SID1234523475]). They have extensive expertise, proprietary intellectual property and know how in this field.

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Dr Guldberg funded by the Danish Cancer Society has invented a useful, patent protected high speed methylation detection assay. It is hoped that it will lead the way to the use on a routine basis of diagnostic tests based on DNA methylation.

Epigenomics will develop and commercialise this novel methylation detection assay. Most recent research has shown that DNA methylation patterns correlate with various disease states and in particular with cancer. Identification of the aberrantly methylated genes will certainly lead to the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics.

CRV provides commercialisation and intellectual property management services to cancer research institutes world-wide. CRV’s goal is to bridge the gap between exciting new research, in this case funded by the DCS at the Institute of Cancer Biology and its timely development by the best suited commercial partner.

On April 5, 2001 Cancer Research Ventures Ltd (CRV), the National Cancer Centre of Singapore (NCC) and Double Helix, a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Pte Ltd, reported formation of Biotech Research Ventures Pte. Ltd. (BRV), Singapore’s first dedicated Technology Transfer company in the biotechnology field was announced and was officially launched on 29th March at a ceremony attended by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, APR 5, 2001, View Source [SID1234523476]).

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Technology Transfer involves the protection of new discoveries from academic research institutes and their continued development by commercialising these discoveries. If successful, this commercial development results in financial rewards being returned to the research institute for further research in the development of new treatments. This process involves establishing collaborations between academic and commercial organisation, licensing of academic technologies to companies and the spinning out of new biotechnology companies from academic research institutes.

CRV has over 14 years experience in carrying out these technology transfer activities in the UK, including the establishment of a portfolio of quality spin-out biotechnology companies. More recently CRV has expanded its business to work with a number of research institutes throughout Europe and is seeking to expand further into Asia.

NCC is the pre-eminent cancer research institute in Singapore, combining both excellent pre-clinical research with a top class clinical programme. To ensure that these programmes are given the best opportunity to develop new diagnostics and treatments for cancer, NCC is keen to develop and provide a Technology Transfer service to its researchers.

In order to establish a Technology Transfer service at NCC, CRV and NCC have agreed to collaborate to form BRV. BRV will also form the base from which CRV will provide Technology Transfer Services not only to other research institutes in Singapore, but also where required in surrounding countries in Asia.

Singapore Technologies, through its subsidiary Double Helix, have recognised the quality and potential of the research being undertaken at NCC and also the need for such a specialised Technology Transfer company in Singapore. This has led to Singapore Technologies, through Double Helix becoming a partner in this new venture.

It is anticipated that BRV will be heavily involved in establishing and managing collaborations between academic and commercial organisations, initially from NCC. However it is likely that this relationship will extend to other research institutes in the Singapore area. BRV will be able to transfer the experience and expertise that CRV has gained over the past 14 years in the biotechnology area to accelerate the development of this specialist Technology Transfer Company in Singapore.

On April 3, 2001 Qugen Therapeutics Pte. Ltd (Qugen) has been reported to be recently launched by Cancer Research Ventures Ltd (CRV), King’s College London (KCL) and the National Cancer Centre, Singapore (NCC) with funding from Singapore-based Growth Capital Pte. Ltd. Qugen, based in Singapore but with research also being undertaken in the UK, will focus on the development of novel concepts in the field of gene therapy and the transformation of these into clinical reality for the cancer patient (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, APR 3, 2001, View Source [SID1234523477]).

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Initially Qugen will be developing three exciting new technologies, each of which will have a major impact on the clinical application of gene therapy:

"Magrecon"- a series of methods designed to produce the highly concentrated delivery vectors needed for gene therapy;

"Fusagene" – a method that allows the co-ordinated expression of more than one gene which makes the clinical application of combination gene therapy a realistic option;

"Liposin" – a novel, non-viral, lipid based delivery system that overcomes problems associated with traditional viral delivery systems and will allow gene therapy to be more widely used in the future.

Qugen is developing these systems towards clinical trials and will license technology rights to other organisations developing a wide range of gene therapy products. In addition, Qugen will be developing its own proprietary gene therapy products to treat cancer patients world wide.

"Magrecon" and "Fusagene" are the result of research by scientists in the Department of Molecular Medicine at KCL using funding from the UK’s Leukaemia Research Fund and Lewis Family Charitable Trust. "Liposin" was developed by scientists from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Research, NCC and was funded by the Singapore National Science and Technology Board.

Professor Hui and Professor Farzaneh, Chairman and Director of Qugen respectively commented that they "are particularly pleased that the potential of these technologies to the field of gene therapy has been realised by CRV, KCL and NCC. With the funding provided by Growth Capital Pte. Ltd, Qugen will be able to bring a unique clinical focus to this area, allowing it to develop technologies and products that will be widely used in the clinical setting".

CRV together with KCL and NCC have worked to commercialise Professor Farzaneh and Professor Hui’s research and to establish Qugen. Qugen has been granted an exclusive worldwide license by CRV and NCC to all the patent rights covering the Magrecon, Fusagene and Liposin technologies. Qugen will use its funds to advance these and other technologies into the clinic and develop its intellectual property base.

CRV’s Dr Guy Heathers commented that "this is clearly an exciting opportunity for us all, in particular in bringing together research from different institutes and different countries. We hope that this will be the beginning of a long and fruitful development in this field for the benefit of the cancer patient".