Champions Biotechnology initiates preclinical development of tumor drug

Preclinical supplies of the drug substance have been recently secured and the preclinical development process is being initiated. The company intends to test the benzoylphenylurea (BPU) agent utilizing its Biomerk Tumorgraft preclinical platform.

Champions Biotechnology’s BPU Agent is an antimitotic inhibitor that targets MAPT (Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau) deficient tumors, a common feature of solid tumors. The compound has shown promising activity against in vitro and in vivo models of prostate and pancreatic cancer, the company said.

Manual Hidalgo, chief scientific officer at Champions Biotechnology, said: “By testing the BPU Agent against panels of Biomerk Tumorgrafts from several different cancer types, we should be able to identify the compound’s best application, predict the outcome of Phase II human trials and, if appropriate, discover biomarkers that may accelerate its clinical development.”