• SKIP TO CONTENT
  • SKIP NAVIGATION
  • Patient Resources
    • COVID-19 Patient Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials
    • Search Clinical Trials
    • Patient Notification System
    • What is Clinical Research?
    • Volunteering for a Clinical Trial
    • Understanding Informed Consent
    • Useful Resources
    • FDA Approved Drugs
  • Professional Resources
    • Research Center Profiles
    • Clinical Trial Listings
    • Market Research
    • FDA Approved Drugs
    • Training Guides
    • Books
    • eLearning
    • Events
    • Newsletters
    • JobWatch
    • White Papers
    • SOPs
    • eCFR and Guidances
  • White Papers
  • Trial Listings
  • Advertise
  • COVID-19
  • iConnect
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Cancer Research U.K., Cancer Research Technology ink agreement with Astellas

Cancer Research U.K., Cancer Research Technology ink agreement with Astellas

August 11, 2014
CenterWatch Staff

Cancer Research U.K. and its commercial arm, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), have joined with Astellas Pharma to conduct a two-year research program in the U.K. to find new drug targets in the fight against cancer, with an initial focus on pancreatic cancer.

Certain pancreatic cancers are dependent on autophagy, the process of consuming your own cellular parts for energy in order to grow. Blocking this pathway may help stop some pancreatic cancers.

The first stage aims to identify and then validate the best possible drug targets to block the autophagy pathway in pancreatic cancer cells. This research will be carried out by Professor Kevin Ryan at the Cancer Research U.K. Beatson Institute and Dr. Sharon Tooze at the Cancer Research U.K. London Research Institute. Astellas has an exclusive license to progress the most promising candidates through further drug discovery and development, subject to certain milestone and royalty payments to CRT.

Professor Kevin Ryan, a Cancer Research U.K. scientist based at the Cancer Research U.K. Beatson Institute, said, "This is an exciting opportunity to develop new drugs for pancreatic cancer where there is an urgent need for new treatments. Research suggests that pancreatic cancer can be dependent on autophagy making it an excellent pathway to target for drug discovery."

Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief strategy officer, Astellas, said, "Since May 2013, Astellas has invited researchers from around the world to collaborate to increase drug discovery opportunities and expand development pipelines. The aim is to establish links with overseas researchers who have ideas that possess a high level of novelty and creativity. This consortium with Cancer Research U.K. and CRT is one of the collaborations to be achieved through this global initiative."

New treatments are desperately needed for pancreatic cancer—one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Every year 8,800 people are diagnosed with the disease in the U.K. but survival rates remain very low, with only 3% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer surviving their disease for five years or more after their diagnosis.

Upcoming Events

  • 25May

    2022 WCG Avoca Quality & Innovation Summit: Own the Future

  • 28Jun

    Effective Root Cause Analysis and CAPA Investigations for the Life Sciences

  • 16Oct

    WCG MAGI's Clinical Research Hybrid Conference - 2022 West

Featured Products

  • Spreadsheet Validation: Tools and Techniques to Make Data in Excel Compliant

    Spreadsheet Validation: Tools and Techniques to Make Data in Excel Compliant

  • Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection

    Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection: Resources for Investigators, Sponsors, CROs and IRBs

Featured Stories

  • Protocol-360x240.png

    Avoid Deviations by Making Protocol Review a Team Effort

  • SelectionProcess-360x240.png

    Give Us a Voice: Sites Clamor for a Say on Vendor Selection

  • Convince-360x240.png

    Use Data and Details to Convince Site Leadership to Add Staff

  • AsktheExpertsBadge-360x240.png

    Ask the Experts: Listing Trial Staff and Others on the Statement of Investigator

Standard Operating Procedures for Risk-Based Monitoring of Clinical Trials

The information you need to adapt your monitoring plan to changing times.

Learn More Here
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Footer Logo

300 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA

Phone 617.948.5100 – Toll free 866.219.3440

Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing