14 November 2007
New Dundee Research Collaboration to Evaluate Drug Safety Risks Early
Evaluating the safety of drugs early in development to ensure the safety of patients is a major issue facing the pharmaceutical industry as shown by some recent high profile withdrawals of new drugs in the later stages of testing.
CXR Biosciences Ltd. today announces a major new £3 million collaborative research and development program aimed at predicting the safety risks of new drugs earlier in their development. The three-year project is a collaboration between CXR Biosciences, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and the University of Dundee and is co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board. An important feature is that this collaboration aims to take the results of industrial and academic laboratory research directly into clinical practice.
A team of scientists at CXR Biosciences headed by Professor Roland Wolf will work with Wyeth scientists and core lab staff based at the new Translational Medicine Research Centre (TMRC) in Dundee. The University of Dundee is also part of the collaboration involving the research group of Professor Mike Ferguson at the College of Life Sciences, and clinical researchers Dr. John Dillon and Professor Andrew Morris at the School of Medicine.
The scientists will identify ‘biomarker’ proteins whose presence in the blood indicates the very earliest effects of a drug that could eventually lead to toxic damage in organs such as the liver, heart or muscle. The researchers will then develop assays to measure circulating levels of these biomarkers to allow the early evaluation of the possible toxic effects of new drugs before side effects develop. The tests could also be useful in the diagnosis of certain types of disease.
The assays will be used in the laboratory to identify drug candidates that present too high a safety risk to be advanced into clinical trials. They will also be used in the clinic to give warning of drugs that could cause harm if treatment were to be continued or if the dose level were to be increased.
Professor Roland Wolf, co-founder of CXR Biosciences said: "This is an extremely exciting programme of work linking academic research with a biotechnology company and a major pharmaceuticals company. It is unique in such drug safety programmes in taking the science all the way from the laboratory to the clinic".
Professor Mike Ferguson from the University of Dundee said: "We are very pleased to contribute our expertise in the technology of ‘proteomics’ to this important programme. It is particularly satisfying to collaborate with clinicians and scientists from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in a truly multi-disciplinary study that will lead to safer medicines for patients".
NOTES TO EDITORS
About CXR Biosciences
CXR Biosciences Ltd. is dedicated to advancing innovative approaches for drug development and safety assessment and supports numerous programs to research and commercialise new technologies for the pharmaceutical industry. The company has business relationships with over sixty customers and collaborators, including pharmaceutical companies, chemical companies, biotechnology companies, leading universities and research institutions. CXR Biosciences Ltd. is located in Dundee, Scotland. More information can be found at www.cxrbiosciences.com
About the Technology Strategy Board
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the government. Its mission is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life. It is sponsored by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
Contact:
Dr. Peter Mulderry, (petermulderry@cxrbiosciences.com) Head of Project Management, CXR Biosciences Ltd.
Tel : +44 (0) 1382 432 156
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
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