Biotechnology company RedX is collaborating with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research on a project investigating novel therapeutic targets in cancer-associated fibrosis.
The collaboration aims to better understand treatments that could lead to increased patient survival in currently very poorly treated highly fibrotic cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.
Redx and Garvan will work on developing an enhanced understanding of cancer-associated fibrosis through detailed scientific studies utilising patient-derived tumour tissue grown in mice. The use of mice and patient-derived tumour tissue aims to mimic human disease as closely as possible.
Garvan will offer its research capabilities and leading preclinical cancer models to the project, which Redx will apply to its proprietary molecules in development for novel targets potentially implicated in cancer-associated fibrosis, such as Porcupine, ROCK2 and Discoidin Domain Receptors (DDR).
RXC004, a Porcupine inhibitor and Redx’s lead oncology product candidate, is being tested against RNF43 mutant pancreatic cancer and preclinical work is ongoing to determine if the patient population may be expanded beyond RNF43 loss of function patients to include a wider fibrotic signature in pancreatic cancer.
Initial data on proprietary Redx molecules in patient-derived preclinical cancer models from the collaboration are expected to be presented by Professor Marina Pajic, Strategic Program Lead for Precision Medicine for Cancer at the Garvan, at the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Congress, which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 23-25 June 2022.
Official comments
Professor Marina Pajic, Strategic Program Lead for Precision Medicine for Cancer at the Garvan Institute, commented: “We are very pleased to be expanding our partnership with Redx and to be benefitting from its medicinal chemistry expertise to work on a range of molecules under development for these novel targets to discover new therapeutic options for patients with fibrotic cancers, a core area of our research focus.”
Dr Caroline Phillips, Head of Oncology at Redx, added: “We are thrilled to be combining the Garvan’s world-leading research in our key areas of focus, fibrotic cancers and cancer associated fibrosis, to explore the potential of Redx’s molecules and novel targets in this leading collaboration. With our focus on fibrosis and oncology and our world-class medicinal chemistry, we are able to contribute a range of molecules from Redx’s differentiated pipeline to further research and develop new targeted therapies for these hard-to-treat conditions.”
