Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Technology have reached an agreement with Astrazeneca to take compound AZD-3965 into clinical trial to potentially treat a range of cancers.
A first-of-its-kind experimental drug, AZD-3965 targets the monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), which is essential in cell metabolism.
Blocking this transporter limits cancer cells' ability to generate energy and decreases their ability to survive.
The drug is ready to be taken into early-phase clinical trials.
It is the sixth treatment to enter Cancer Research UK's Clinical Development Partnerships (CDP) scheme.
CDP is a joint initiative between Cancer Research UK's Drug Development Office and Cancer Research Technology, to progress promising anti-cancer agents that pharmaceutical companies do not have the resources to progress through early-phase clinical trials.
The deal with Astrazeneca will enable the charity's Drug Development Office to carry out early clinical trials of the compound to see if it can benefit cancer patients.
'Astrazeneca is committed to the discovery and development of new, targeted anti-cancer therapies to improve the lives of cancer patients but, if we are going to be successful in delivering new treatments for cancer patients, it will be important for charities, academics and industry to work collaboratively,' said Les Hughes, global vice president of cancer research at Astrazeneca.
Cancer Research UK will fund the Phase I/IIa clinical trial of up to 60 patients to start in 2011.
The trial will be managed by its Drug Development Office.
The lead clinical trial centre will be Newcastle's Cancer Research UK Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network, led by Prof Ruth Plummer.
Under the terms of the agreement, Astrazeneca can decide if it wishes to develop the drug further based on the clinical trial data results at the end of the Phase I/IIa trial.
If it chooses not to, the rights will be given to Cancer Research Technology to secure an alternative partner and ensure that the drug has every possible chance of reaching patients.
In either case, the charity will receive a share of any future revenues generated by the drug.
