New cancer treatment in pipeline
Kiwi researchers will be the forefront of developing a new cancer treatment thanks to a new deal with their Chinese counterparts.
Wellington’s Malaghan Institute of Medical Research has teamed up with Chinese researchers to develop and trial new immunotherapies in this country, to be initially targeted at leukaemia patients.
‘‘We already know this is extremely effective in acute leukaemia patients,’’ Dr Robert Weinkove, clinical director of the Malaghan’s human immunology laboratory, said.
Hunan Medical Research Group has developed the treatment in China and carried out phase one of a trial. Now it’s injected $1 million in seed funding to get the project up and running here, while Malaghan has provided the laboratory facilities and will establish the second phase of the trial.
Immunotherapy has been touted as the latest weapon in the fight against cancer. It works by using medication to stimulate a response from the body’s immune system.
Malaghan signed a letter of intent to develop new CAR-T cell therapies against cancer with the help of Hunan.
The transfusion-style treatment, known as CAR-T cell therapy, involves modifying patients’ immune cells (T cells) in the laboratory, to redirect them against cancer cells.
The modified T cells are then returned to the patient, where they can attack and destroy cancer cells.
One immunotherapy which gained traction in recent years is Keytruda, proven to be an effective treatment for melanoma. But Keytruda’s designed to work within the body, Malaghan director Professor Graham Le Gros said.
‘‘But with this [new] treatment, we take the cells out, play with them a bit, and put them back.’’
The project will be lead by Weinkove, who is also a clinical haematologist at Capital & Coast District Health Board.
Phase one of a trial has been completed in China, and Weinkove envisions phase two, a nationwide clinical trial in New Zealand, will begin in 2018.
‘‘It will be targeted at people who have not responded to other therapies.’’
The treatments hold great potential for future partnerships, he said.
The intention is to create a New Zealand-based joint venture, which will trial and develop a new form of immunotherapy internationally.
In a paper published earlier this year, Weinkove said the Malaghan Institute was already working with the Ferrier Institute on cancer vaccination approaches designed to stimulate T cell activity against cancer. – Fairfax NZ