Collaborative agreement to develop cancer therapies

Sydney-based biotech Novogen (ASX:NRT) and the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research have signed a collaborative research agreement to develop a new family of cancer therapeutics, the super-benzopyran molecules.

Novogen plans to establish a network of research groups to collaborate in bringing these cancer therapies into the clinic.

Designed and developed by Novogen, the first or lead compound, known as CS-6, has shown broad anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activity in the lab against a range of human cancer cell types.

This drug family is intended to deliver comprehensive therapy - treatment that kills cancer cells and their progenitor cancer stem cells. This comprehensive therapy approach is being taken to deal with tumours that are highly resistant.

CS-6 has the potential to cross the blood-brain barrier to treat brain cancer and has particular potency against the primary brain cancer, glioblastoma. Late-stage ovarian cancer is a secondary clinical target.

The company has an active design and manufacturing program underway with the aim of developing more compounds that will help treat cancers known to have a poor prognosis.

The collaboration with the Ingham Institute formally establishes a five-year partnership that will allow CS-6 to begin preclinical development by oncologist and Ingham Institute researcher Professor Paul De Souza at Liverpool Hospital.

The Ingham Institute is a partnership between the South Western Sydney Local Health District, the University of Western Sydney, the University of new South Wales and Liverpool Hospital. The translation of cancer research from the lab into the clinic is a focus of the institute.

Novogen (ASX:NRT) shares were trading 4.65% higher at $0.22 as of around 1 pm on Thursday.