Tyler Curiel, M.D., M.P.H., executive director of the CTRC, is a leading p38 researcher studying ovarian cancer.
Printer Friendly Format

Contact: Jill Byrd, (210) 450-5550

SAN ANTONIO (June 30, 2008) — The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has entered into significant research collaborations with Locus Pharmaceuticals and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The collaborations will focus on the development of a new class of drugs that slow down, or inhibit, certain chemical reactions in the body. In this case, the research will investigate whether the new drugs can be used to counteract chronic inflammation and angiogenesis (the creation of a network of blood vessels), which promote the growth of cancerous tumors.

Cancers that thrive on both inflammation and angiogenesis include multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, and certain types of breast cancer.

Zeroing in on chemical processes
Through the collaboration, researchers will conduct studies related to Locus’ p38 inhibitor agents. These are a group of highly selective inhibitors that regulate the chemical processes of p38 alpha and beta isozymes, and LP-590, a multi-targeting inhibitor of p38, Tie-2 and Ret kinases. The research collaboration also will build on the existing research relationship with CTRC that focuses on LP-261, an agent involved in another Phase I clinical study sponsored by the pharmaceutical company.

Francis Giles, M.D., is director of the CTRC's Institute for Drug Development.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Locus on their drug development candidates," said Francis Giles, M.D., director of the CTRC's Institute for Drug Development. "Locus has a unique pipeline of novel medicines for treating cancers associated with angiogenesis and inflammation," he added. "We have a great need for agents such as those in the Locus pipeline which target cancer-associated inflammation and angiogenesis, especially via both the p38 and Tie-2 pathways," Dr. Giles said.

Dr. Tyler Curiel, the executive director of the CTRC, is a leader in the p38 field and also a specialist in ovarian cancer. According to Dr. Curiel, "The mechanisms of Locus drug candidates are a very good fit for our research interests at CTRC. We hope to apply our very broad therapeutic developmental capabilities to help advance these promising agents."

"The CTRC and M. D. Anderson are world-renowned cancer research centers with well-respected investigators and we are very excited to begin these key research collaborations soon," said Jamie Freedman, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer at Locus. "We anticipate that the preclinical studies will assist us in identifying patient populations most likely to benefit from our drugs," added Dr. Freedman.

# # #
The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is one of the nation’s leading academic research and treatment centers, serving more than 4.4 million people in the high-growth corridor of Central and South Texas including Austin, San Antonio, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley. CTRC is one of a few elite cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center, and is one of only three in Texas. CTRC handles more than 120,000 patient visits each year and is a world leader in developing new drugs to treat cancer. The CTRC Institute for Drug Development (IDD) is internationally recognized for conducting the largest oncology Phase I clinical drug trials program in the world, and participated in the clinical and/or preclinical development of many of the cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. For more information, visit www.ctrc.uthscsa.edu.