Antisoma acquires PPM1D program from ICR

UK cancer drug developer Antisoma has acquired rights to develop and commercialize novel anti-cancer compounds called PPM1D (protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1 d) inhibitors from the the UK's Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technology.

Work carried out at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre and at the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, both of which are at the ICR, showed that these compounds inhibit PPM1D and selectively kill cells that over-express this phosphatase. Over-expression of PPM1D occurs in many cases of cancer, and can be readily detected. These inhibitors could therefore have potential as highly-targeted treatments for patients whose cancers are known to express the phosphatase, the firm noted.

Antisoma plans to continue the preclinical development of PPM1D inhibitors from the ICR's pipeline. The two parties have also formed a collaboration to explore further the potential of PPM1D-based approaches to cancer treatment.