Ability Pharma receives €1.2 millions to study lung and pancreatic cancer drug in humans
Just four months ago, this biopharmaceutical company based in the UAB Research Park closed a round of funding for €1 million.
By Biocat
Ability Pharmaceuticals (previously AB-Therapeutics) received a €1.2-millions grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness public-private cooperation program Innpacto 2012. A substantial part of the grant will go to fund the first study in humans (phase Ib clinical trials) on the drug ABTL0812 to treat lung and pancreatic cancer. The company expects to submit an application to the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Healthcare Devices this April to begin clinical trials on volunteers with advanced stage cancer (refractory solid tumors).
This Catalan biopharmaceutical company is developing a patented new class of drugs, lipid analogue drugs, that are showing high efficacy and low toxicity in animal models. Tests in immunosuppressed mice, with xenografts of lung and pancreatic cancer, treated with candidate ABTL0812 for four weeks showed a 70% reduction in tumor growth, with growth completely halted in 10% of the mice treated. The molecule has been shown to be equally or more effective than standard treatments like docetaxel, gemcitabine and erlotinib, with lower toxicity and fewer side effects.
Ability Pharmaceuticals is heading up this joint program, which also includes the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) in Barcelona. In total, the consortium has received €2.2 millions in funding. The company will present this public/private research program at the congress of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) that will be held in Chicago from 31 May to 4 June this year.
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