Peplin researches pancreas

Peplin Biotech has broadened its research pipeline for anti-cancer drugs that target diseases of the pancreas.

The Brisbane-based company has appointed Dr Lyndell Kelly as chief consultant to a new project to develop and test small molecule drugs which she has identified as having particular promise against the clinically difficult targets of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis.

Dr Kelly is a Brisbane-based oncologist and internationally published medical researcher.

Peplin said it expected the new project to significantly broaden its cancer research base by complementing the development of compounds which have also shown activity against pancreatic cancer cells in laboratory work.

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth-ranking cause of cancer death worldwide, was surprisingly under-researched, the company said, and there was a "significant lack" of effective therapies for the disease.

In the USA, research spending per pancreatic cancer fatality is only $US491, compared to $US2897 per fatality for prostate cancer and $US9797 per fatality for breast cancer, the company said in a statement.

"Pancreatic cancer has been Dr Kelly's research passion for the past decade," said Peplin's director of research, Dr Jim Aylward. "We believe that she is uniquely positioned to contribute to our breakthrough effort."

Kelly said she was impressed by the company's business model for accelerating drug discovery.