On March 7, 2013 CRT, Cancer Research UK’s commercialisation company, and AstraZeneca reported to have extended their multi-project cancer metabolism alliance for a further two years (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, JUL 7, 2013, View Source [SID1234523259]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The three-year alliance, aiming to develop a drugs pipeline targeting cancer metabolism, has been expanded to run to early 2015 – adding two further years for development of the existing portfolio of four projects and the possibility of at least two new projects being selected by CRT from Cancer Research UK’s research in cancer metabolism.

Cancer metabolism research investigates how cancer cells use energy to survive and grow, particularly under conditions of nutrient and hypoxic (low oxygen) stress faced by rapidly growing tumours. Cell metabolism is often altered in cancer cells and new drugs that control a cell’s metabolism could attack a tumour’s weak spot while sparing normal tissues.

Dr Phil L’Huillier, director of business development at CRT, said: "We’re delighted to extend this important alliance with AstraZeneca and thrilled with the great progress made so far. There are already several promising compounds being developed through the partnership.

"We’ve proved again that partnerships with industry such as this are a hugely successful formula for collaborative drug development. The expertise of CRT’s Discovery Laboratories and CRT’s unique access to the UK cancer research community combined with AstraZeneca’s extensive capabilities has created an innovative and productive model for early stage drug development."

The alliance team will continue to work at CRT’s Discovery Laboratories in London and Cambridge, and AstraZeneca’s cancer research centre, Alderley Park, Manchester.

AstraZeneca will take the most promising projects forward into pre-clinical and clinical drug development.

CRT has already achieved multiple milestones and will receive further milestone payments and royalties on the projects that AstraZeneca progresses into clinical development.

Susan Galbraith, head of the AstraZeneca Oncology Innovative Medicines Unit at AstraZeneca, said: "Our continued alliance with CRT allows AstraZeneca to collaborate with leading scientists in the field of cancer metabolism and to further build on our efforts to identify new agents to target cancer cells’ dependence on altered metabolic pathways for their survival."

(Filing, 10-K, , MAR 6, 2013, View Source [SID:1234502764])

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

(Filing, 10-K, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, FEB 28, 2013, View Source [SID:1234504035])

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

On February 27, 2013 Araxes Pharma reported it has entered into an exclusive arrangement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. to develop first-in-class therapeutics against a certain target for the treatment of cancer (Press release Wellspring Biosciences, FEB 27, 2013, View Source [SID:1234501620]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Araxes Pharma brings together a proven team of early drug developers. The scientific founders are Kevan Shokat, Ph.D., HHMI Investigator and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at UCSF, and Frank McCormick, Ph.D., FRS, Professor and Director of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF. Joining them in the new venture are Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Yi Liu, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, and Pingda Ren, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Chemistry.

Drs. Wilson, Liu, Ren and Shokat previously co-founded Intellikine, which discovered three drug candidates against the PI3K/mTOR pathway. The first drug candidate, a PI3Kdelta/gamma inhibitor, was licensed to Infinity Pharmaceuticals in July 2010 in a deal valued up to $489 million. Separately, Intellikine advanced two more drug candidates – a TORC1/2 inhibitor and a PI3Kalpha inhibitor – into human clinical trials. In January 2012, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, the Takeda Oncology Company, acquired Intellikine in a deal valued up to $310 million.

The Intellikine co-founders recently reunited to form Wellspring Biosciences, a pharmaceutical incubator focused on the discovery and development of drugs targeting signal transduction networks for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. Wellspring is organized as a drug discovery incubator, with its scientific programs organized in separate, asset-centered affiliates. Araxes Pharma LLC represents the first publicly announced affiliate.

Under the agreement with Janssen Biotech, Araxes Pharma will advance its program through Phase I to clinical proof-of-concept. Thereafter, Janssen Biotech will have sole responsibility for the continued development and worldwide commercialization of products arising under the agreement. Araxes Pharma will receive an upfront payment and research and development funding and is eligible to receive milestone payments in addition to tiered royalties on the worldwide sales of products under the agreement.

"We are delighted to work with Janssen on a very exciting approach for the treatment of patients with cancer," said Troy Wilson, President and CEO of Araxes Pharma. "Their sophisticated outlook and capabilities for development of molecularly-targeted therapeutics will enable us to accelerate development of our novel, high-quality small molecules."

(Press release, Isarna Therapeutics, FEB 26, 2013, View Source [SID:1234505056])

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!