OncoGenex develops plans for a novel cancer therapeutic

OncoGenex Technologies has in-licensed the rights to inhibitors of heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) from The University of British Columbia. Additionally, Hsp27 has been accepted by Isis Pharmaceuticals as a collaboration target under the expanded OncoGenex/Isis antisense drug discovery agreement announced earlier this year.

The lead compound, designated OGX-427, will add to OncoGenex's growing pipeline of therapeutics targeting cancers resistant to standard treatments. Based on pre-clinical data generated to date, OncoGenex anticipates that OGX-427 will be the second product in its portfolio to enter clinical development, which is slated to begin in 2006.

Hsp27

Hsp27 is a small heat shock protein that is over-expressed in numerous tumour types and is associated with treatment resistance through its ability to help cancer cells survive stress-induced injury. In pre-clinical single agent studies, OGX-427, a second-generation antisense drug, demonstrated significant anti-tumour activity at very low concentrations. In addition, when combined with chemotherapy in pre-clinical prostate cancer studies, OGX-427 significantly enhanced the anti-tumour activity of the chemotherapeutic agent. "Hsp27 is a compelling target for oncology because of its association with treatment resistance and its role in cell survival along numerous critical pathways in cancer cells," said Dr Martin Gleave, chief scientific officer of OncoGenex. "Because over expression of Hsp27 prevents the death of cancer cells, a therapeutic that selectively inhibits the expression of Hsp27 can induce cancer cell death, representing a promising approach for the development of a cancer therapeutic."