Anti-Microtubule Cancer Therapeutics

Background

Microtubule drugs directly block cell proliferation, thereby causing cancer cell death
(Figure 1A).  As a result of their ability to kill rapidly dividing cancerous cells, microtubule drugs such as Taxol® are among the most clinically useful cancer therapeutics discovered to date, generating revenue will in excess of one billion USD per year.

Several more recently developed microtubule drugs can also target tumours by disruption of the tumour vasculature (Figure 1B).  Microtubule drugs (e.g. Zybrestat and Ombrabulin) that target the tumour vasculature are currently undergoing extensive clinical development and testing.

Data

The new microtubule drug BPH 8 can disrupt adhesions between vascular endothelial cells.  As a result of medicinal chemistry by Epichem, a drug with low nanomolar activity has progressed to in vivo testing of anti-tumour activity.

Our Technology

BPH has recently identified new anti-cancer agents that inhibit cancer cell proliferation by
targeting of the microtubule cytoskeleton (Figure 2).  

Currently in the proof of-concept stage, the project is utilizing the Molecular Discovery
Systems InCell Analyser high-content platform for cell-based investigations, as well as in vivo trials of tumour growth.