Avalon initiates MYC R&D

The USA's Avalon Pharmaceuticals has initiated a drug discovery program targeting the MYC oncoprotein, one of the most important and previously intractable cancer targets. According to the firm, MYC is one of the most frequently deregulated proteins in human cancer, and is associated with many types of aggressive tumors carrying a poor prognosis.

"Avalon Pharmaceuticals is uniquely suited to discover drugs for these otherwise intractable cancer pathways," said Kenneth Carter, the firm's chief executive. "Our AvalonRx technology identifies potential therapeutics based upon their ability to modulate pathways or targets within living cells. As an example, we use RNAi technologies to suppress the key nodes in these undruggable pathways and screen for small molecules that elicit a similar response. This approach may lead to the development of first-in-class therapeutics," he added.