LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr. Jack Kavanaugh, Chairman of Novonco Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced
today that Novonco has licensed the exclusive rights to City of Hope’s
novel anti-cancer agent COH29, a potential breakthrough agent in the
fight against hard-to-treat cancers, including ovarian cancer.
“is its potent
antitumor activity against BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer.”
The small molecule COH29 inhibits the production of
ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), an enzyme that is central to production
of many types of cancer cells. Current clinically-established RNR
inhibitors -- such as hydroxyurea and gemcitabine -- have drawbacks,
including a short half-life and drug resistance. But COH29 represents a
new class of RNR inhibitors, with unique targeted-action mechanisms that
limit damage to non-cancer cells, thus limiting side effects.
Preclinical trials suggest it can overcome hydroxyurea and
gemcitabine resistance in cancer cells and may serve as a first- or
second-line treatment in relevant cancers. This novel therapeutic agent
has been in development at City of Hope’s Beckman Research Institute.
In preclinical studies, COH29 has been shown to reduce tumor growth in
human cancers, including leukemia and ovarian cancer -- diseases that
are hard to treat, and it has also shown promise against breast cancer
cells. “One of the real potentials of COH29,” says Dr. David Horne,
co-chairman of Novonco’s Medical Advisory Board, “is its potent
antitumor activity against BRCA1-deficient ovarian cancer.”
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal -- and the second most-common --
gynecologic cancer in the United States, with over 20,000 new cases
and 14,000 deaths expected yearly. Most of the cases are diagnosed at an
advanced stage, with a corresponding 5-year survival rate of only 27
percent. Today, primary treatment of OC typically consists of surgery
followed by first-line chemotherapy with a platinum/taxol combination.
First-in-human Phase I clinical trials of COH29 are scheduled to begin
in the fall of 2015 at City of Hope.
“We at Novonco are excited to work with City of Hope on COH29, which
holds so much promise for the treatment of ovarian and other
hard-to-treat cancers,” says Dr. Kavanaugh. The company is working on
two other cancer therapeutic platforms, based on individual licensing
arrangements with City of Hope and the University of California Irvine.
In 2009, in conjunction with City of Hope, Dr. Kavanaugh founded ZetaRx
Therapeutics. Dr. Kavanaugh was also the Chairman and CEO of ZetaRx,
which became the core of Juno Therapeutics. Juno was the largest biotech
IPO of 2014 and attained a market cap of approximately $6 billion.
Contacts
AEFPRAndrew E. Freedman, 818-955-7010Andrew@AEFPR.com
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