Date: 2016-01-08
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: Bcl-3 inhibitors, OH14
Company: Tiziana Life Sciences (UK) Cardiff University (UK)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism: protein inhibitor. OH14, is an inhibitor of c-FLIP (cellular FLICE (FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme)-inhibitory protein), a known suppressor of apoptosis (programmed cell death). c-FLIP acts inside the cell by preventing the instructive cell death that occurs when a signal protein produced by neighbouring cells attaches to the target cell’s surface. c-FLIP blocks this death signal from entering the cell. Suppression of apoptosis is a recognised driver of cancer cell proliferation, thus by inhibiting this suppression it should be possible for cell death to occur and proliferation of cancer to be thwarted.
Disease:
Details: * On May 7, 2015, Tiziana Life Sciences, a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on targeted drugs to treat diseases in oncology and immunology, has exclusively licensed a novel anti-cancer stem cell agent, capable of targeting aggressive tumour forming cells originating from the breast, pancreas, colon and prostate, from Cardiff University scientists. The novel agent, known as OH14, is an inhibitor of c-FLIP (cellular FLICE (FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme)-inhibitory protein), a known suppressor of apoptosis (programmed cell death). c-FLIP acts inside the cell by preventing the instructive cell death that occurs when a signal protein produced by neighbouring cells attaches to the target cell’s surface. c-FLIP blocks this death signal from entering the cell. Suppression of apoptosis is a recognised driver of cancer cell proliferation, thus by inhibiting this suppression it should be possible for cell death to occur and proliferation of cancer to be thwarted. This agreement is Tiziana’s second with the University following the Bcl3 licensing agreement in January 2014.
Financial terms: Under the terms of the agreement, Tiziana will fund £50,000 per year for a research project at the University focused on building the structure activity relationships (SARs) around OH14 and to improve the activity of this series of compounds. Additionally, Tiziana will pay to the University milestone payments up to c.£2 million and pay royalties on sales of any licensed products developed as a result of the project. If certain milestones are achieved Tiziana will also pay one per cent of its enterprise value to the University in the event of a trade sale of Tiziana to a third party.
Latest news: * On January 8, 2016, Tiziana Life Sciences announced that its research agreement with Cardiff University, focused on pioneering the development of Bcl-3 inhibitors as potential drugs to treat cancer, has led to the identification of a first-in-class lead clinical candidate, CB1, with potent anti-metastatic activity, and with an impressive in vivo efficacy and safety profile. The Company intends to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application on CB1 in 2016, and expects to move this drug candidate into clinical trials before the end of the year.
The original research agreement between Tiziana Life Sciences and Cardiff University, focused on pioneering the development of Bcl-3 inhibitors as potential drugs to treat cancer, has been expanded to include an additional research program focused on eradication of breast cancer stem cells through inhibition of a protein known as c-FLIP, which is also being supported by the Company.
