On July 20, 2015 Dr. Jack Kavanaugh, Chairman of Novonco Pharmaceuticals, Inc., reported that Novonco has licensed the exclusive rights to City of Hope’s novel anti-cancer agent COH29, a potential breakthrough agent in the fight against hard-to-treat cancers, including ovarian cancer (Press release, Novonco Therapeutics, JUL 20, 2015, View Source [SID1234645698]).

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The small molecule COH29 inhibits the production of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), an enzyme that is central to production of many types of cancer cells. Current clinically-established RNR inhibitors — such as hydroxyurea and gemcitabine — have drawbacks, including a short half-life and drug resistance. But COH29 represents a new class of RNR inhibitors, with unique targeted-action mechanisms that limit damage to non-cancer cells, thus limiting side effects. Preclinical trials suggest it can overcome hydroxyurea and gemcitabine resistance in cancer cells and may serve as a first- or second-line treatment in relevant cancers. This novel therapeutic agent has been in development at City of Hope’s Beckman Research Institute.

In preclinical studies, COH29 has been shown to reduce tumor growth in human cancers, including leukemia and ovarian cancer — diseases that are hard to treat, and it has also shown promise against breast cancer cells. "One of the real potentials of COH29," says Dr. David Horne, co-chairman of Novonco’s Medical Advisory Board, "is its potent antitumor activity against BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer."

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal — and the second most-common — gynecologic cancer in the United States, with over 20,000 new cases and 14,000 deaths expected yearly. Most of the cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, with a corresponding 5-year survival rate of only 27 percent. Today, primary treatment of OC typically consists of surgery followed by first-line chemotherapy with a platinum/taxol combination. First-in-human Phase I clinical trials of COH29 are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2015 at City of Hope.

"We at Novonco are excited to work with City of Hope on COH29, which holds so much promise for the treatment of ovarian and other hard-to-treat cancers," says Dr. Kavanaugh. The company is working on two other cancer therapeutic platforms, based on individual licensing arrangements with City of Hope and the University of California Irvine.

In 2009, in conjunction with City of Hope, Dr. Kavanaugh founded ZetaRx Therapeutics. Dr. Kavanaugh was also the Chairman and CEO of ZetaRx, which became the core of Juno Therapeutics. Juno was the largest biotech IPO of 2014 and attained a market cap of approximately $6 billion.