Joint Annual Research Report 2010/2011

The primary aim of the Enterprise Unit is to ensure appropriate and effective exploitation of the intellectual property and research outputs generated by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden in order to maximise patient benefit.

Some of our highlights of 2010/11:

We filed seven new patents, including protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1 d) inhibitors (PPM1Ds) and kinase suppressor of RAS (KSR), which are targets implicated in breast and pancreatic cancer.

New collaborations with industry included a Science and Technology Facilities Council award to optimise the design specifications for novel x-ray imaging systems based on semiconductor (Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride) detectors. We also entered into a partnership with the biotech company ZoBio to identify new therapeutic polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (PNKP) compounds.

The achievement of important milestones by our industrial collaborators including:

Centocor Ortho Biotech (now Janssen Biotech Inc) successfully completing the Phase III clinical trial for the prostate cancer drug abiraterone. Marketing approval was given by the Food and Drug Administration on the 28^th April 2011 and the European Commission on 7^th September 2011.

AstraZeneca starting a Phase I clinical trial to investigate inhibitors of the target PKB, which may reduce resistance of tumours to commonly-used anti-cancer drugs in a range of cancers.

Dr Sue Eccles of the Division of Cancer Therapeutics receiving a Faringdon Fund award (a fund set up by the ICR that bridges the gap between research funding and full commercial funding) to develop and apply biomarker assays in support of the protein kinase MAP4K4 as a therapeutic target.

Negotiating the agreements for over 90 clinical studies throughout the world. This includes covering the terms for the studies, such as drug provision, funding and sponsorship.

For further information, visit the Enterprise Unit web pages.