Isis licences antisense anti-cancer drug

Isis Pharmaceuticals has licensed an anti-cancer antisense drug to Sarissa, a biotechnology company emerging from the University of Western Ontario.

The drug is an antisense inhibitor of thymidylate synthase (TS), a well-known drug target that protects cancer cells from the effects of several chemotherapy treatments. In preclinical studies, antisense inhibition of TS suppressed human tumour cell growth and overcame tumour cell resistance to marketed TS-targeted drugs.

'This licensing agreement with Isis will enable us to move our oncology drug discovery and development program forward. The combination of our knowledge of the biological role of thymidylate synthase with Isis' expertise in antisense discovery and development and second-generation chemistry has the potential to yield an exciting and cutting-edge treatment for cancer,' said Dr Mark Vincent, president and ceo of Sarissa. 'Looking ahead, we plan to complete a series of preclinical experiments to prepare the drug for IND submission and human clinical trials.'

'This transaction with Sarissa is another example of our successful satellite company partnering program. Through these relationships, we are expanding the reach and potential of antisense therapeutics and participating in the success of multiple companies and products,' said Dr Nicholas Dean, vice president of Functional Genomics at Isis Pharmaceuticals. 'This licensing agreement will allow us to benefit from Sarissa's expertise and highly focused research efforts in cancer, while Sarissa will benefit from our experience in RNA-based drug discovery and development and access to our intellectual property.'

Under the terms of the agreement, Sarissa will pay Isis a $1m upfront fee in exchange for the exclusive, worldwide license to the TS antisense drug. The upfront fee will be paid with a debt instrument which will convert into Sarissa stock upon its successful completion of a venture capital financing. Sarissa will also pay Isis milestone payments for key clinical and regulatory achievements and royalties on product sales. Sarissa will be solely responsible for preclinical and clinical development of the drug.

About Thymidylate Synthase (TS)

TS is an important target in a wide variety of cancers including, colorectal, breast, stomach, esophageal, head and neck cancers, and mesothelioma; it is of increasing importance in non-small cell lung cancer. In addition to interfering with the effectiveness of chemotherapy, the TS gene may also participate in causing cancer. TS is a target for several chemotherapy agents, including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), pemetrexed (Alimta), and raltitrexed (Tomudex).