Louisville, KY - June 3, 2009 - Advanced Cancer Therapeutics (ACT), a privately held company dedicated to bringing new anti-cancer therapies to market, today announced that it has signed an exclusive license to develop and commercialize small molecule compound inhibitors of choline kinase, an enzyme discovered to be required for the survival of tumors by scientists at the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center (Brown Cancer Center).
Brown Cancer Center researchers Drs. Brian Clem, Sucheta Telang, Jason Chesney and John Trent recently found that removal of the gene for choline kinase caused a block in signals required for the survival of tumors. Using computing technologies that Dr. Trent developed in Kentucky, they then screened millions of chemicals and identified one that turned off the enzyme. This lead chemical inhibitor of choline kinase caused the death of lung tumors in mice. Dr. Chesney states that, “The discovery of a powerful inhibitor of this new survival enzyme could lead to a new class of chemotherapies.”
“ACT is a unique biotechnology company in that we have a rich portfolio of potential breakthrough anti-cancer products from which to select through our innovative business arrangement with the University of Louisville’s Brown Cancer Center,” said Randall Riggs, President & CEO of ACT. “We are very excited to license this product opportunity that may eventually provide cancer patients with a significant breakthrough treatment against solid and hematological cancers.”
About Advanced Cancer Therapeutics (ACT):
ACT is a privately held company dedicated to advancing novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of cancer. ACT has successfully established a unique and innovative business model with the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center (Brown Cancer Center) whereby ACT is able to obtain exclusive worldwide licenses to novel cancer therapeutics discovered at Brown Cancer Center under preset business terms. ACT then fast-tracks these discoveries, including the selection process for partnership, commercialization and manufacture, to the pharmaceutical industry, and ultimately to the patients who need them. Led by Dr. Don Miller, the Brown Cancer Center employs over fifty scientists focused on the discovery and advancement of breakthrough cancer therapeutics for patients suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit www.advancedcancertherapeutics.com.
About James Graham Brown Cancer Center:
The James Graham Brown Cancer Center is a key component of the University of Louisville's Health Sciences Center and UofL Health Care. As the region's leading academic, research, and teaching medical center, our patients benefit from the latest medical advances, often long before they become available in non-teaching settings. The Brown Cancer Center is affiliated with the Kentucky Cancer Program and the National Cancer Institute. It is the only cancer center in the region to use a unified approach to cancer care, with multidisciplinary teams of physicians working together to guide patients through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. For more information, visit our website www.browncancercenter.org.
Advanced Cancer Therapeutics Secures Exclusive License to Ant-Cancer Therapeutic from the
University of Louisville's Brown Cancer Center
Contact:
Randall B. Riggs, President & CEO
Advanced Cancer Therapeutics
Phone: (502) 345-8911
Email: rriggs@advancedact.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE