S*BIO collaborates with Karolinska Inst

Singapore-based S*BIO Pte, a privately-held biotechnology company focused on the research and clinical development of novel targeted small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer, has entered into a research collaboration with Sven Pettersson, a professor at the Department of Tumorbiology and Microbiology at Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish medical university, for its histone deacetylase (HDAC) program.

"This agreement provides an exciting opportunity for S*BIO and Prof Pettersson to combine expertise and resources to evaluate the role of S*BIO's novel and proprietary HDAC inhibitors in the treatment of colorectal cancers and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the development of gastrointestinal polyps and tumors," said Jan-Anders Karlsson, chief executive of the Singapore firm.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the USA. Early detection and novel therapies have improved patient prognosis but there is still a significant unmet medical need. Over 100,000 new cases are diagnosed there annually, with more than 50,000 deaths from this disease every year, said the group.