Alchemia and SDP Technology in cancer drug collaboration

Australian drug developer, Alchemia Limited has given SDP exclusive rights to develop anti-cancer drugs targeting the enzyme sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) using Alchemia's VAST chemistry.

SK1 has been shown to play a central role in cancer by reducing apoptosis (cell death) and promoting cell proliferation and survival. SK1 is overexpressed in numerous cancers and inhibiting its activity can arrest tumour growth in preclinical models.

SDP has screened a library of compounds synthesised by Alchemia that are specifically designed to inhibit the kinase family of enzymes. As a result SDP has identified a number of compounds with promising activity against SK1. More detailed analysis of those compounds is now underway

"Sphingosine kinase is a very attractive target for anti-cancer therapies and we are delighted to be working with SDP to develop inhibitors," said Pete Smith, ceo of Alchemia. The project has already identified a number of active molecules and shown a strong relationship between their structure and activity. This is a core ability of our VAST technology which we see as offering a rapid route to novel drugs, especially when the structure of the target is unknown."

Ian Brown, md and ceo of SDP said having access to VAST technology had enabled SDP to take a substantial leap forward in its sphingosine kinase drug discovery and development program. "The initiative has provided opportunities quickly

SK1 is a signal transduction molecule whose function is disturbed in a wide range of cancers and hence inhibitors of this enzyme would have widespread clinical utility. The partnership between Alchemia with its library of molecules and SDP with its strong IP position could lead toward the development of such agents.

VAST libraries consist of molecules, each of which is designed to place drug-like binding groups in different positions representing every likely permutation in drug-like space.

Under the terms of the deal between the companies SDP will have rights to the structural data from the initial screen and to develop molecules using Alchemia's VAST chemistry. In exchange for these rights Alchemia will be granted 5% of the fully diluted equity in SDP with a further equal tranche of shares and options if a molecule based on its chemistry is advanced into the clinic.

Alchemia is a drug discovery and development company founded on its chemistry expertise SDP Technology