Brain cancer is one of the most painful and traumatizing illnesses currently known to man. Luckily, the University of Sydney has developed a drug to help treat patients suffering from it.
Lin BioScience, a company focusing on innovative therapies for oncology, cardiology, and ophthalmology, recently announced an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of Sydney. Known as the LBS-002, this drug is capable of crossing blood-brain barriers to directly combat primary or metastatic brain cancer. It is a small-molecule medicine designed to prevent the division of cancer cells by blocking the formation of microtubules.
The Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News reported that while current drugs target tubulin polymerization, they are only effective for breast and ovarian cancers. These medicines are large molecules that could not penetrate the blood-brain shield in the head. According to Lin BioScience, the LBS-002 can fight the mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, an area most chemotherapies fail at.
Per PR Newswire, Lin BioScience will have the rights to commercialize the intellectual property of Drs. Lenka Munoz ad Michael Kassiou. The developers said that their research is now over and it is time to proceed to clinical testing. Meanwhile, furthers terms of the agreement are yet to be disclosed.
The University said last March 14 that Lin BioScience granted Drs. Munoz and Kassiou a 12-month research funding worth 1.2 million AUD in December. Interestingly, LBS-002 is only one of the four studies in the pipeline. LBS-008 is an oral dry age-related macular degeneration agent developed with the Columbia University.
Additionally, the LBS-007 is a known CDC7 inhibitor for leukemia and solid tumors. It is being established with the help of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins University. Lastly, the LBS-003 is a novel omega-3 fatty acid-derived cancer combatant meant to induce apoptosis in malignant cells. For the record, the LBS-002 has been made possible through the partnership with the University of Technology Sydney.
