Cancer Research UK adds Astex molecule to development programme
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Cancer Research Technology(CRT), Cancer Research UK's development and commercialisation arm, has signed a deal with Astex Therapeuticsto take into development its novel anticancer treatment AT13148, a small-molecule inhibitor of protein kinase B (also known as AKT). AKT is involved in the growth and survival of tumour cells in many different cancers, and the PI3-AKT pathway is being targeted by many drugs, including the mTOR inhibitors on the market or in development and the PI3K inhibitors in development. AT13148 will enter CRT's clinical development partnerships programme, which was set up in 2006 and began developing AstraZeneca's AZD0424 in May (Scrip Online, May 19th, 2008). Development of the molecule will be funded primarily by Cancer Research UK and the charity will receive a share of any revenues including a royalty on sales.