Medical Solutions PLC and Cancer Research Technology to develop a novel toolkit for cancer drug development
12th October 2004
Nottingham, UK: Medical Solutions plc, ('MLS') the supplier of services for drug developers and healthcare providers, announces that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Cancer Research Technology Ltd ('CRT'), to enhance the speed and reliability of early cancer drug development.
CRT, is the technology transfer and development company of Cancer Research UK, Britain's leading independent cancer research organisation.
Developing validated biomarkers to assess the response of a patient to a drug is now the critical step in drug development. MLS will use this exciting link to create a unique toolkit for their drug development service.
MLS will screen and assess a carefully selected sub-set of CRT's monoclonal antibody panel to identify potential tissue biomarkers that will provide an indication as to the effectiveness of specific anti-cancer drugs.
There are currently in excess of 500 drugs in development for cancer with another 1,500 in late stage discovery. It is estimated that early phase biomarker driven clinical studies cost $20 million per drug so creating a global potential market of $40 billion for such services.
The intellectual property rights for any reagent will remain with CRT, and MLS will act as a joint partner in subsequent commercialisation for use in both drug development and in the creation of a novel diagnostic.
Harpal Kumar, CEO of CRT said: 'We are delighted to be working with Medical Solutions. They have the necessary expertise to identify novel biomarkers to speed up the whole process of getting new drugs to patients'
Professor Karol Sikora, Scientific Director of MLS welcomed the agreement: 'We are entering uncharted territory with the advent of molecularly targeted drugs. It is now vital to understand how to get the right drug to the right patient. CRT has an excellent panel of antibodies - an ideal starting point to create novel tissue diagnostics in an era of personalised medicine for cancer. For tomorrow's patients the diagnostic is going to be as important as the treatment.'
For further information please contact:
Medical Solutions
Charles Green, CEO
Professor Karol Sikora, Scientific Director+44 (0) 115 973 9010
Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial
Ann-marie Wilkinson+44 (0) 207 861 3932
Geoff Callow
Cancer Research Technology
Harpal Kumar, CEO+44 (0) 207 269 3640
Notes to Editors
Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) is a specialist technology transfer company which aims to develop new discoveries in cancer research for the benefit of cancer patients. CRT is wholly owned by Cancer Research UK, the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world. CRT works closely with leading international cancer scientists and their institutes to protect intellectual property arising from their research and to establish links with commercial partners. CRT facilitates the discovery, development and marketing of new cancer therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and enabling technologies. Further information about CRT can be found at www.cancertechnology.com.
Cancer Research UK is Europe's leading cancer charity, dedicated to research into the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer. The charity supports the work of 3,000 scientists, doctors and nurses in over 80 academic centres across the UK, with an annual scientific spend of more than £213 million. Cancer Research UK is the European leader in the development of novel anti-cancer treatments; from their discovery at the laboratory bench to early clinical trials in cancer patients. Further information about Cancer Research UK can be found at www.cancerresearchuk.org.
Medical Solutions is Britain's largest tissue diagnostics company with advanced technology in image analysis, virtual microscopy and quantitative biomarker determination. Its service division has established ethical, fully consented tissue banks, created a network of over 90 specialist pathologists to provide reporting services to both the NHS and the private sector, the provision of liquid based cytology systems and most recently a drug development service involving tissue analysis for molecularly targeted anti-cancer agents.
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