Tracon Enters Into R&D Agreement With NCI

Tracon Pharmaceuticals (Tracon) has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Under the terms of the agreement, both the companies are expected to collaborate over a 5-year period to develop TRC105 as a treatment for prostate cancer, the most common cancer affecting men in the United States.

TRC105 is Tracon’s clinical stage monoclonal antibody that targets CD105, an endothelial cell membrane receptor that is essential for the process of new blood vessel formation called angiogenesis. Reportedly, tumor growth and metastasis are dependent on angiogenesis, and CD105 is strongly expressed on the blood vessels of most solid cancers. By inhibiting angiogenesis and attacking the preformed blood vessels in established tumors, TRC105 is expected to have activity against a wide variety of solid cancer types.

Bryan Leigh, chief medical officer at Tracon, said: “This CRADA is a significant milestone in the development of TRC105. We look forward to working closely with the NCI as we move ahead with phase 2 clinical trials of TRC105 as a therapy for prostate cancer.”