Date: 2013-06-14
Type of information: R&D agreement
Compound: new drugs which target a key protein involved in DNA damage response
Company: AstraZeneca (UK) Cancer Research Technology (CRT) (UK) Cancer Research UK (UK) the University of Manchester (UK)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: R&D
Action mechanism:
Disease:
Details: * On June 14, 2013, Cancer Research Technology, the commercial arm of Cancer Research UK, the University of Manchester and AstraZeneca have announced two agreements to seek new cancer drugs.
In the first agreement, scientists at the Cancer Research UK Paterson Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Manchester will develop potential new drugs which target a key protein involved in DNA damage response. AstraZeneca will provide the preliminary compounds, the basic building blocks for the development of the drugs, as well as the shape and structure of the target to best determine which compounds can interact with it. AstraZeneca has first rights to the molecules discovered through the agreement and can choose to continue further development after the agreement. In return, Cancer Research Technology will receive royalty payments when the project reaches certain milestones and has the option to develop the molecules further if AstraZeneca declines to do so.
In an additional agreement, AstraZeneca has invited Cancer Research UK scientists from the Paterson Institute to test a potential drug target against AstraZeneca’s compound collection at Alderley Park to see if any could potentially work as a new cancer drug. This is the first time that AstraZeneca has invited an external party to screen such an extensive set of compounds within its screening facility.
AstraZeneca will provide the important clinical and molecular information on any promising molecules, and Cancer Research UK scientists at the Paterson Institute will then have the opportunity to develop to a defined stage. AstraZeneca will have first rights of negotiation on any promising drug targets as a result of the extensive testing at the compound collection at Alderley Park.
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