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Alliance of translational research centres established to accelerate global drug development

On January 21, 2013 Six of the world’s top translational health research centres reported that they have come together to form a new Global Alliance of Leading Drug Discovery and Development Centres (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, 21 21, 2013, View Source [SID1234523260]). The aim of this alliance is to strengthen the international academic and/or not-for-profit drug development and commercialization network to ultimately improve the rate at which academic research is translated into new medicines.

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The founding organizations are:

The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Canada
Lead Discovery Center (LDC), Germany
The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Florida, United States
The Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3), KU Leuven R&D, Belgium
Medical Research Council Technology, United Kingdom
Cancer Research Technology, United Kingdom

All member organizations are fully-integrated translational centres capable of professionally advancing drug discovery projects along the value chain from idea to drug candidate with proof-of-concept. Together, they represent close to 400 experienced drug developers collaborating with tens of thousands of academic scientists around the globe on over 165 highly innovative therapeutic projects targeting significant unmet medical needs. For the biopharmaceutical industry, they represent a major source of innovation. Numerous alliances with many of the industry’s leading global companies have been established to develop resulting drug candidates further and ultimately make them available to patients.

Through this Alliance, member organizations will collaborate on mutually-beneficial projects, share best practices, expertise and resources, and develop common standards and performance measurements – ultimately working together to improve the conversion of global early-stage technology into much needed therapies.

Karimah Es Sabar, President and CEO of CDRD commented, "We see a multitude of translational research initiatives around the world, but until now, these have for the most part, worked in isolation of one another. This Alliance will be a powerful vehicle in bringing such organizations together, leveraging one another’s strengths, and ultimately making for a much more effective global translational research environment."

Dr Keith Blundy, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Research Technology, said: "Cancer Research Technology has historically worked to advance drug discovery opportunities from diverse academic sources including those in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. This alliance of leading centres fits perfectly with our aim to grow this activity, to share our knowledge and to learn from others with the ultimate goal of providing more and better drugs for cancer patients."

For additional information on the Global Alliance of Leading Drug Discovery and Development Centres, please visit: www.drugdevelopmentalliance.org

Cancer Research UK takes investigational multi-cancer drug from laboratory into unique trial

On January 18, 2013 CANCER RESEARCH UK’s Drug Development Office (DDO) in partnership with AstraZeneca, reported to have opened a unique three-armed study of a new investigational drug called AZD0424 that is being tested for the treatment of a range of cancers (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, 18 18, 2013, View Source [SID1234523261]).

This first ever phase I trial of the AstraZeneca-owned drug, is led from the Oxford Cancer Research UK Cancer Centre based at the Churchill Hospital*. It will recruit up to 30 patients, initially across all solid tumour types. Later the design of the trial will be adapted, enabling the study to separate into three separate ‘personalised’ arms. Each of these future arms will test AZD0424 in different combinations alongside standard or other experimental treatments in specific patient populations. The Edinburgh and Belfast Cancer Research UK Centres are also involved as clinical sites, carrying out research to guide the drugs to be used in combination with AZD0424 and the specific patient groups involved in the trial.

This is the first time the DDO has undertaken an adaptive design trial of this type – one where the planned combination treatment to be given to patients is modified as the trial progresses.

Study leader, Professor Adrian Harris, Cancer Research UK clinician at the University of Oxford, said: "This unique study design means that for the first time, we’re able to monitor the data we receive in the first phase of the trial and feed this back into the study to adapt it as it’s happening – rather than having to wait until it ends – which could be several years.

"This exciting approach will hopefully accelerate development to give us a better chance of identifying the most effective ways to use the drug either alone or in combination in specific patient groups."

AZD0424 works by blocking two proteins called Src and ABL1 – found in high levels in cancer cells. The proteins have an important role in cell growth and blood vessel development. Laboratory studies have shown that AZD0424 blocks these proteins, preventing delivery of nutrients via blood vessels to cancer cells – stopping their growth.

Cancer Research UK has carried out the preclinical development work of AZD0424 through the charity’s Clinical Development Partnerships (CDP) scheme. CDP is a joint initiative between the DDO and the charity’s commercial arm, Cancer Research Technology, to put drugs that otherwise would not be developed by pharmaceutical companies through early phase clinical trials. The scheme lets companies keep the background rights to their programmes while enabling Cancer Research UK to take on early development work, to see if there is a benefit to cancer patients.

Graham Richmond, AZD0424 project leader at AstraZeneca, said: "Collaborations such as this between AstraZeneca and Cancer Research UK are critical in the fight against cancer. By joining forces and combining our assets with external expertise, it means we can bring forward a wider range of experimental compounds than we could do simply using our own resources and – as a result – patients get access to a trial of a potential new cancer treatment earlier.

"AstraZeneca was the first pharmaceutical company to have a strategic alliance with Cancer Research UK focused on developing novel combinations of experimental cancer drugs through early phase clinical trials."

The trial is also supported by the National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, and the Cancer Research UK and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network.

Dr Vicky John, head of clinical partnerships, at Cancer Research UK’s DDO, said: "We’re delighted that our unique CDP scheme has made it possible to launch the first trial of this promising drug.

"We’re enormously proud of our successes so far from the initiative, which allows us to work alongside industry to take on and develop deprioritised potential cancer treatments – which otherwise may not have reached patients for many years.

"There are now eight drugs in our CDP portfolio – including a multipeptide vaccine, a monoclonal antibody and other molecularly targeted drugs. Four treatments have already successfully entered trials** with others scheduled to open early 2013. This demonstrates how our strong collaborations with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have provided new experimental drugs for patients on trials, for whom existing drugs no longer work.

"We intend to continue to seek future partnerships, to develop more potential drugs and ultimately achieve our goal to save more lives from cancer."

Launch of trial of ‘master switch’ drug to treat several cancer types

On January 17, 2013 Cancer Research UK and its commercial arm Cancer Research Technology (CRT) reported a trial of an experimental drug shown to simultaneously block many enzymes that control cancer cell growth and death (Press release, Cancer Research Technology, 17 17, 2013, View Source [SID1234523263]). The ‘master-switch’ experimental drug, owned by Astex Pharmaceuticals, could potentially treat a range of cancer types.

Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office (DDO) will fund, manage and sponsor this early-stage Phase I clinical trial of up to 40 patients at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden Hospital.

The drug, AT13148, is one of eight drugs to be developed through Cancer Research UK’s Clinical Development Partnerships (CDP) programme, which is a joint initiative between the charity’s DDO and CRT. The programme develops promising cancer drugs that pharmaceutical companies do not have the resources to progress through early phase clinical trials to see if they can benefit cancer patients. Without this programme many promising drugs would be left on the shelves gathering dust.

AT13148 is a type of drug called a kinase inhibitor. Research in the laboratory has shown it can simultaneously block several different enzymes that control cell growth and cell death, and the drug killed a range of cancer cell types including sarcoma, breast and prostate. Many drugs block only a single enzyme and scientists hope that switching off cell signals at multiple points at the same time could increase the effectiveness of this drug.

Dr Udai Banerji, Cancer Research UK senior clinical lecturer at The Institute of Cancer Research and honorary consultant in medical oncology at The Royal Marsden, said: "There’s an urgent need to discover and develop new ways to beat cancers that do not respond to the treatments we have at the moment. By targeting cancer cells at a range of weak spots instead of just one, tumours will be less likely to develop resistance to this treatment. We’re very pleased that this multi-target drug has now reached patients in the clinical trial stage.

"It’s thanks to the generosity and time of patients that it’s possible to carry out clinical trials like this that could lead to new treatments for patients in the future."

The novel agent came into the DDO requiring extensive preclinical development work.

Cancer Research UK scientists at the DDO and those funded at The Institute of Cancer Research demonstrated that the drug would be suitable for patients and, working together with specialist manufacturing organisations, developed a sophisticated method to make the drug in its most basic form. Finally, Cancer Research UK’s Formulation Unit at the University of Strathclyde manufactured the drug for the trial.

The molecule was originally discovered by scientists on the PKB drug discovery programme, a collaboration between Astex Pharmaceuticals, CRT and The Institute of Cancer Research, which ran from 2003 through to 2006.

Harren Jhoti, Astex Pharmaceuticals president and director, said: "We are very gratified with the progress that the collaboration has achieved and that this work has progressed into the clinic."

Astex Pharmaceuticals can decide to develop the drug further based on the Phase I/IIa clinical trial data. If it chooses not to, Cancer Research Technology has the rights to secure an alternative partner and ensure the drug has every possible chance of reaching patients. The charity will receive a share of revenues generated by the drug to be channelled back into life-saving research.

Dr Victoria John, head of clinical partnerships at Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office, said: "We’re delighted to open the first clinical trial of this experimental drug to find out if it can benefit cancer patients in the future.

"This molecule was brought to us at a very early stage in its development and, with the preclinical work now completed, we’re extremely pleased it’s obtained regulatory approval to enter the clinic.

"We’ve developed this molecule through our Clinical Development Partnerships initiative that has allowed us to form strong links with industry to take this promising drug forward. Without the programme it may have remained undeveloped and the clinical trial simply would not have been possible."

MonoSol Rx Enters Into Licensing Agreement With Vestiq Pharmaceuticals
for Zuplenz® Oral Soluble Film

On January 16, 2013 MonoSol Rx, the developer of PharmFilm drug delivery technology, reported that it has licensed Zuplenz (ondansetron) to Vestiq Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on innovative therapeutic remedies within the supportive care markets (Press release, MonoSol Rx, JAN 16, 2013, View Source [SID:1234508916]). Zuplenz is an oral soluble film (OSF) for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced, radiotherapy-induced, and postoperative nausea and vomiting. The licensing agreement comprised an undisclosed upfront payment from Vestiq, as well as double digit royalty payments from sales of Zuplenz. Vestiq relaunched Zuplenz in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2012. The approval of Zuplenz by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes it the first oral soluble lingual film product approved by the FDA as a prescription medication, based on MonoSol Rx’s proprietary PharmFilm technology.

A. Mark Schobel, President and CEO of MonoSol Rx, stated, "We are excited that Zuplenz is once again available to meet the needs of patients. We have found the right partner in Vestiq Pharmaceuticals and are excited about their ability to positively impact the supportive care market. We know that this oral film delivery of the drug ondansetron fulfills a significant unmet need, as we have fielded a continuous stream of inquiries from doctors and nurses regarding the availability of Zuplenz. Providers are now able to ensure their patients receive the best care possible by utilizing our innovative drug delivery technology to eliminate swallowing issues and discomfort associated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Today’s announcement reinforces MonoSol Rx’s position as a leader in the film space, and our continued dedication to patients in need."

"We are pleased to be working with MonoSol Rx to relaunch Zuplenz into the U.S. market," said Martin Baum, Chairman and CEO of Vestiq Pharmaceuticals. "The oral film delivery technology is a major breakthrough for ease of use and compliance for supportive care patients, who consistently have difficulty swallowing. We intend to build on the initial acceptance of Zuplenz by the oncologists, general surgeon and oncology nurse communities, who are now able to provide their patients with an alternative product for nausea and vomiting."

Zuplenz is a unique formulation of ondansetron developed using MonoSol Rx’s proprietary PharmFilm technology, and co-developed with partner APR Applied Pharma Research s.a. of Switzerland. It is based on a novel and proprietary oral drug delivery technology platform and consists of a polymeric OSF containing ondansetron. Once placed in the mouth, it dissolves in a few seconds and is swallowed with saliva without the need for water.

(Press release, Onconova, JAN 9, 2013, View Source [SID:1234506143])