Cancer Therapeutics has announced the validation and performance of CTx-294886 in combination with Avastin in a preclinical model of basal breast cancer.
The CTx-0294886, a potent small molecule inhibitor of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 3 (VEGFR3), was compared with that of CTx-0294945, a potent selective FAK inhibitor.
Both of them in combination with Avastin inhibited angiogenesis, and increased the duration of tumour response. Additionally CTx-294886 in combination with Avastin provided a highly statistically significant increase in the median survival time compared to the Avastin only group.
Cancer Therapeutics CEO Warwick Tong said the second candidate is even more potent at prolonging and strengthening the effects of Avastin compared to the first one.
"We are now starting to reap the benefits of our highly collaborative approach to drug discovery, working hand in hand with some of the top research institutes in Australia and our international partner, Cancer Research Technology UK," Tong added.
The company has also announced the development of a new High Throughput Screening (HTS) platform, which closely replicates cellular ubiquitination pathways, for the identification of small molecule inhibitors of protein ubiquitination.