Cancer deal testimony to local research

Monday, 23 April 2007,

Cancer deal testimony to local research

23 April 2007, AUCKLAND: A $1 billion cancer deal based on University of Auckland research is further proof of the University’s world-class research capacity, Dr Peter Lee, CEO of Auckland UniServices Limited, said today.

In welcoming the deal he said it also had significant potential to be a strong contributor to ongoing research in New Zealand.

“This is a terrific testament for Professor Bruce Baguley and his team at the University’s Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre who began developing this drug over 20 years ago. We congratulate them and our partners at Antisoma who have brought a potential treatment showing real promise to help cancer patients to this point,” he said.

Under the terms of the deal, announced by Antisoma, Novartis, which is the world’s third largest distributor of anti-cancer drugs, will pay upfront and milestone payments of up to $US890m.

The drug was invented at the University, and its ongoing development has the potential to deliver very significant benefits via ongoing research contracts and royalty payments, Dr Lee said.

Now known as AS1404 and developed originally under the name DMXAA, the drug is a vascular disrupting agent that restricts blood vessels feeding tumours, so that the tumours are eaten away from the inside out.

As the University’s research and technology company, UniServices patented the discoveries and has managed further human clinical trials run at The University at Auckland in lung and ovarian cancers.

The drug is designed to be used with traditional chemotherapy treatments and in this application has shown it can extend patient survival in clinical trials.

Dr Lee said that the University team had once again brought world attention to the strength of local research, and that if it succeeded in making it to market royalty payments from the drug would be applied to further extending the research capacity of the University.

ENDS

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