Date: 2012-08-15
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: pre-clinical focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor programmes including CTx-0294945 and CTx-0294886
Company: Cancer Research Technology (CRT) (UK) Cancer Therapeutics CRC (Australia)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism: The FAK inhibitor portfolio includes CTx-0294945, a highly-selective small molecule inhibitor, and CTx-0294886, a potent small molecule inhibitor of three proteins: FAK; vascular growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3); and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3). FAK is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in controlling the growth, development and spread of different solid tumours. These include triple-negative breast cancer and merlin-negative mesothelioma. Both CTx-0294945 and CTx-0294886 separately boost the effectiveness and response length of anti-angiogenic antibody cancer drug Avastin® to treat triple negative breast cancer in mice. FAK also has an important role in controlling cancer stem cell survival, suggesting these molecules may also be able to destroy cancer stem cells. CTx-0294886 could also be used for the treatment other cancers, including a subset of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients with mutations in FLT3. FLT3 is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in controlling the growth and development of several blood cancers, including AML.
Disease: triple-negative breast cancer, merlin-negative mesothelioma, solid tumors
Details: Cancer Research Technology (CRT) has entered into two licences with Cancer Therapeutics CRC (CTx), an Australian cancer drug and development company, to commercialise CTx’s pre-clinical focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor programmes. CRT, as global commercial partner of CTx, has exercised its options to take forward these two programmes, which were developed by CTx, to in vivo proof-of-concept stage in mice. The FAK inhibitor portfolio includes CTx-0294945, a highly-selective small molecule inhibitor, and CTx-0294886, a potent small molecule inhibitor of three proteins: FAK; vascular growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3); and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3). These products could be used for treatment of different solid tumours including triple-negative breast cancer and merlin-negative mesothelioma.CTx-0294886 could also be used for the treatment other cancers, including a subset of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients with mutations in FLT3. FLT3 is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in controlling the growth and development of several blood cancers, including AML.
CRT is seeking to exclusively license these two programmes.
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