European Funding to Advance Development of Prostate Cancer Drug

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 07 Sep 2015

The development of a drug for treatment of prostate cancer has been given a boost by the recent award of a EUR 2.5 million grant to its Dutch biopharmaceutical company developer.

The drug developer, Oncodrone (Nijmegen, The Netherlands), has received a grant totaling EUR 2.5 million, which will enable it to advance its lead product, the prostate cancer drug OCD155, through preclinical development towards clinical trials and for further research into its mechanism-of-action.

OCD155 halts tumor progression by blocking epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancers. In the EMT process epithelial cells lose their cell-cell adhesion and develop into cancer cells with aggressive properties. Consequently, cancer cells can escape the original tumor into blood and lymphatic vessels and colonize other tissues. By blocking EMT, the cancer cell is prevented from gaining invasive and malignant properties and becomes less aggressive. OCD155 was shown to be effective in in-vivo laboratory experiments to reduce the ability of tumors to spread, reduce the tumor burden, and treat advanced stages of disease.

The grant to Oncodrone comes from the Eurostars (Brussels, Belgium) and EUREKA (Brussels, Belgium) joint program. Eurostars supports international innovative projects led by research and development-performing small- and medium-sized enterprises. EUREKA is an intergovernmental organization for pan-European research and development funding and coordination. EUREKA aims to coordinate efforts of governments, research institutes, and commercial companies concerning innovation. It does not partake in military research and follows a "bottom-up" approach to research and development funding, industry itself deciding which projects should be developed.

Henk Viëtor, CEO of Oncodrone, said, “I am delighted about this crucial grant that allows us to further develop our novel approach to treating prostate cancer towards testing in humans.”

Related Links:
Oncodrone
Eurostars
EUREKA