MIPS leads the way in development of drug candidate for cancer treatment

September 2009

The Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) is a partner of the Cancer Therapeutics (CTx) Cooperative Research Centre Pty Ltd. Established two years ago, CTx works with cancer researchers both in Australia and overseas to develop pre-clinical small molecule drug candidates for emerging cancer targets.

Since its establishment, CTx has brought together an international multi-disciplinary team of scientists, including MIPS researchers with skills in medicinal chemistry and drug optimisation, to focus on the discovery and development of small molecule drug candidates for promising cancer targets.

One of CTx’s largest projects is currently investigating the protein, Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK). FAK is an enzyme thought to play an important role in the growth, invasion, and spread of solid tumours. A team of MIPS based medicinal chemists, working on intellectual property licensed from Melbourne based drug development company Cytopia Research Pty Ltd, is making excellent progress towards the identification of a preclinical drug candidate that inhibits the action of FAK.

“The CTx team has accomplished a lot in a relatively short period of time, and outcomes like this give solid justification to the CRC Scheme for supporting our endeavours. Furthermore, we plan to continue these successes as our program moves forward, adding significant value to the FAK project and other early stage cancer initiatives in Australia” said Dr Tony Evans, CEO of CTx.

Partners in CTx include the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CSIRO Molecular Health Technologies, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s Institute, The Cancer Council Victoria, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Griffith University, Bionomics Ltd and Cancer Research Technology Ltd (UK).