Date: 2011-11-01
Type of information: Grant
Company: Domainex (UK)
Investors: Technology Strategy Board (UK)
Amount: £250,000 (€ 291 156)
Funding type: grant
Planned used: Domainex Ltd has been awarded a £250,000 grant by the Technology Strategy Board to help support the development of a new drug for the treatment of several common cancers.
Others: Domainex’s novel drug will work by inhibiting two closely-related protein kinase enzymes, TBK1 and IKKe. Recent studies carried out by academic groups and by Domainex have shown that blocking these protein kinases will stop certain cancer cell lines from growing, suggesting that inhibitors of these enzymes can be used for the treatment of cancer. These enzymes are also important in some inflammatory diseases, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes, so Domainex’s drug could have wider applications.
Domainex’s initial attention will be focused on breast and ovarian cancers. The company has already identified potent, selective and drug-like TBK1/IKKe inhibitors. These inhibitors have been shown to be effective in inhibiting several cancer cell lines. Domainex’s research objective is to identify a candidate drug that is effective in disease models and would be orally well-absorbed by humans. The subsequent commercialization of this new drug would be undertaken in partnership with a large pharmaceutical company which has the resources to take the drug through clinical trials and to the marketplace.
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
