Australian cancer research organisations establish co-operative enterprise
Seven of Australia's leading research organisations, together with London-based Cancer Research Technology, Bionomics, of Australia, and Millipore/Chemicon, also of Australia, are finalising negotiations for the formation of the Co-operative Research Centre for Cancer Therapeutics (CRC-CT).
Seven of Australia's leading research organisations, together with London-based Cancer Research Technology, Bionomics, of Australia, and Millipore/Chemicon, also of Australia, are finalising negotiations for the formation of the Co-operative Research Centre for Cancer Therapeutics (CRC-CT).
The Centre will be funded by an award of A$37.6m from the Australian Federal Government and further contributions from the participants totalling A$148m to create a world-class translational research organisation headquartered at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Biotechnology Centre, Melbourne, Victoria.
CRC-CT is funded for seven years and brings together Australia's foremost expertise in cancer biology, translational oncology and drug discovery to produce high-quality novel drug candidates for further development and commercialisation.
'Australia invests more than A$150m each year in cancer research, and the creation of CRC-CT provides a catalyst for translation into new therapies through bringing together immense knowledge, expertise, and resources to realise the therapeutic potential in the outstanding research being carried out at Australian research institutes,' said Professor Dick Fox, chairman-elect of CRC-CT and a medical oncologist.
'CRC-CT will benefit enormously from the experience and track record of Cancer Research Technology in developing and commercialising cancer therapies, and in fact our goal is to use this experience to develop a sustainable development and commercialisation company for cancer therapeutics to benefit Australians in the long term.'
CRC-CT will draw on significant investments already made in drug discovery infrastructure in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Organisations participating in CRC-CT include:
- Bio21 Australia, Melbourne
- Bionomics, Adelaide
- Cancer Council of Victoria, Melbourne
- Cancer Research Technology, London
- CSIRO Molecular Health Technologies, Melbourne
- Griffith University, Brisbane
- Millipore/Chemicon Corporation, Sydney
- Monash University/Victorian College of Pharmacy, Melbourne
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Research Centre, Melbourne
- St Vincent's Research Institute, Melbourne
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne
- Disrupting blood vessels that feed cancers
- Preventing cancer cells invading other parts of the body
- Adjunct treatments to minimise the side effects of chemo- and radiotherapies
- Overcoming resistance of tumours to chemotherapies