- Noxopharm (NOX) teams up with the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) to investigate more effective treatments for brain cancer
- The collaboration was formed to evaluate a new family of anti-cancer drugs designed by Noxopharm scientist
- According to NOX, the new drugs can block ‘helper’ growth signals coming from neighbouring healthy cell
- Noxopharm said the first program will be focusing on brain cancer, with details of a separate pancreatic cancer program to be announced shortly
- On the market this morning, Noxopharm is up 2.59 per cent, trading at 59.5 cents per share
Noxopharm (NOX) has teamed up with the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) to investigate more effective treatments for brain cancer.
The collaboration was formed to evaluate a new family of anti-cancer drugs designed by Noxopharm scientist.
According to NOX, the new drugs can block ‘helper’ growth signals coming from neighbouring healthy cell.
Those ‘helper’ growth signals are considered an important contributor to the highly aggressive nature of certain cancers, such as brain, pancreas and bile duct.
“Finding drugs that block these ‘helper’ signals in a tumour’s micro-environment has become a major new direction in oncology,” the company explained.
Noxopharm said the challenge is to block these signals without damaging their source, an issue vital in cases such as the brain.
However, the company believes it has achieved this objective in pre-clinical studies. It says the drug can potentially convert aggressive brain cancers in adults and children into slow-growing cancers which can be managed by other treatments such as surgery and radiotherapy.
Principal investigator at the Neuro-Oncology Branch at NCI is pleased with the partnership.
“We are enthusiastic about this collaboration that aims to find new targeted molecular therapies for patients affected by diseases in the central nervous system, particularly brain cancers,” he said.
Noxopharm CEO Graham Kelly said this principal is applicable to a wide range of highly aggressive cancers.
“Brain cancer is our first program, and a separate pancreatic cancer program is underway with details to be announced shortly,” Dr Kelly said.
On the market this morning, Noxopharm is up 2.59 per cent, trading at 59.5 cents per share at 11:28 am AEST.