CytImmune and AstraZeneca to Research Potential New Nanomedicine
Thursday, 27 December 2012
CytImmune and AstraZeneca have entered into an agreement to study the feasibility of a new cancer nanomedicine that will bind an oncology compound from AstraZeneca to CytImmune's CYT-6091 nanomedicine platform.
CYT-6091, which is comprised of gold nanoparticles bound with an immune avoiding molecule (PEG-Thiol) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), has been successfully tested at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD in a phase I clinical trial in advanced-stage cancer patients. As seen in that study, the gold nanoparticles trafficked to tumors, not to healthy tissue, resulting in an improvement in the safety of systemically administered TNF formulated as CYT-6091.
Dr. Lawrence Tamarkin, CytImmune's CEO said: "By combining CytImmune's proprietary nanotechnology with AstraZeneca's oncology compound, AstraZeneca and CytImmune have the opportunity to create a cancer therapy that may be widely applicable to many solid tumors, which may help improve patient outcomes and positively impact cancer care."
CytImmune is a leader in the emerging field of nanomedicine, using nanometer-sized particles of gold to carry potent cancer therapies directly to the site of disease. Gold nanoparticles, historically known as colloidal gold, have been used safely since the 1930's to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis. By coating the gold nanoparticles with an immune-avoiding molecule, TNF and AstraZeneca's anti-cancer agent, this design is a potential model for a new class of proprietary cancer therapies.
Susan Galbraith, Head of the Oncology Innovative Medicines Unit, said: ""AstraZeneca and CytImmune share a common goal of bringing new treatments built on a nanoparticle platform to cancer patients. By coupling our investigational cancer therapy to CytImmune's promising nanoparticle platform, we hope to improve the ability of our compound now formulated as a new multi-functional nanomedicine to kill cancer cells and therefore shrink tumours with better safety."
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About CytImmune
CytImmune is a clinical stage nanomedicine company with a core focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of multifunctional, tumor-targeted cancer therapies. Based on a research and development strategy to harness the unique properties of gold nanoparticles, cytotoxic agents, and biology of tumors, CytImmune is developing a pipeline of proprietary drug candidates by binding potent anti-cancer agents – whose toxicity profiles currently prevent or severely limit clinical use – to its patented tumor-targeting platform nanotechnology. The company's nanomedicine technology is highly versatile and may be used with a broad spectrum of anti-cancer agents. For more information on CytImmune, please visit www.cytimmune.com.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com